Dean Smith's Legacy Continues to Live on in Today's Coaches Posted Jun 25, 2014 Dean Smith's last game as a college basketball coach was in 1997 when his North Carolina team fell to eventual national champion Arizona in the Final Four. But even though it's been more than 17 years since Smith was the coach of record in any contest, his influence on the modern game is so prevalent it's like he's been an assistant for most of the top programs in the nation. (Bleacher Report)