Dean Smith is a retired head coach of men’s college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 36 years. Smith coached from 1961 to 1997 and retired as the NCAA Division I men's basketball coach with the most wins ever with 879 wins. This record was later surpassed by Bobby Knight in 2007. Smith has the 9th highest winning percentage of any men’s college basketball coach at 77.6. During his time as head coach of North Carolina, the team won two national titles and appeared in 11 Final Fours. Ad from March 2009.