Dean Smith: A Basketball Life

by Jeff Davis

Former University of North Carolina men’s basketball coach Dean Smith was one of the most successful coaches ever to hold a whistle. In his 36-years at North Carolina, his teams won a record 879 games. They also captured two national championships, claimed 30 seasons with at least 20 wins, and made 11 Final Four appearances. Coach Smith developed 26 consensus All-Americans, five NBA rookies of the year (including the great Michael Jordan), and 25 first-round draft picks.

But Smith’s basketball accomplishments tell only part of his story. Dean Smith: A Basketball Life is the definitive biography of the legendary coach. You may not know that Smith worked to abolish the death penalty in North Carolina and openly supported gay rights. In 1949, five years before the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education, he pleaded in vain with officials to include African-American players on the school’s basketball team. Sixteen years later, after completing his fourth season as the head coach at North Carolina, Smith ventured to New York City and came back to Chapel Hill with Charlie Scott, the most significant recruit of his tenure. Scott became the school’s first African-American scholarship recipient and he integrated major college basketball in the South.

Smith passed away in February 2015, and it is now time to take stock of this extraordinary man whose ideas and philosophies have shaped the best of what college basketball has been and should aspire to be in the future.

Genres: Sports, Basketball

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 2016

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Davis, a Chicago journalist

Reviews

[Agatha Donkar Lund · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been four stars - it's mostly thoughtful and lovely, and includes a number of stories I hadn't heard before - but the chapter about the academic scandal knocked it down. Not because I am one of those Carolina fans who won't acknowledge it, but because that chapter was so badly written (repetitive to the point of redundancy, whole paragraphs three or four times in the chapter repeating what the problems were, almost word for word) and felt nastily the point of the book. "I am going to write a book about how great Dean Smith was, except how it's really about how he was a terrible cheater!"

The academic scandal should be talked about. It should. It's bad, a black mark in the university I love. But in this one, it is a chapter that feels so out of place that it made me think less of Jeff Davis. Your mileage may very.

[Natalie Nolt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The chief aim of this book is to describe the coaching life of Dean Smith. While it does accomplish that, it repeatedly cites from Smith’s autobiography, “A Coach’s Life.” That is a far superior read. Smith’s autobiography provides an accurate, firsthand look into what made him a legend. Jeff Davis’s biography, however, often loses focuses as the chapters seem to begin on Smith but then quickly turn to the details of his opponents. The chapter on the academic scandal, while important, feels speculated and out of place. If you’re looking to know Dean Smith, read “A Coach’s Life.”

[Mandy Lehti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dean Smith: A Basketball Life is more than a biography; it’s an inspiring exploration of leadership, integrity, and social conscience wrapped in the story of one of college basketball’s most legendary figures. Davis captures not only Smith’s record-breaking achievements on the court 879 wins, two national championships, 30 seasons with at least 20 wins, and 11 Final Four appearances but also the remarkable character behind the whistle.

Dean Smith emerges as a visionary: a coach who cultivated talent, developed All-Americans and NBA stars like Michael Jordan, and instilled a philosophy of teamwork, humility, and perseverance. Yet what truly sets this biography apart is its focus on Smith’s courage off the court. From advocating for the integration of college basketball in the South to opposing the death penalty and supporting gay rights, Smith’s moral compass and commitment to justice shine as brightly as his coaching record.

Jeff Davis’ writing balances detailed game analysis with rich storytelling, giving readers both a deep appreciation for Smith’s basketball genius and insight into his ethical framework. This is a book for sports fans, history enthusiasts, and anyone inspired by leaders who use their platform to create lasting social impact.

[D.M. Peek · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a UNC Chapel Hill alum who loves sports, this book was the perfect read for me. However, what I gleaned most from this story was the true character of this legend. After reading this, you are inspired to focus your life on doing what's right for others and strive to be a mentor whenever you can. I try to apply many of his coaching principles to my high school tennis team coaching - very timeless and uplifting approaches to mentoring others. What a great person Dean Smith was - his influence will be felt for centuries.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Info regarding how basketball began.....a way to have a game to play indoors in cold weather

Dean Smith, epitome of an outstanding human being, cared about his players during school and after, where are the Dean Smiths now?

[Michael S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

[Marianne Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won Dean Smith:A Basketball Life thru a GoodReads Giveaway.

I have always considered myself a basketball and a football fan, though in reality I was a huge fan of my high school Mustangs, the Chicago Bulls and da Bears and my son's sports teams. I also am a fan of Jeff Davis, having enjoyed his book on the Chicago Bears and his George Halas (Papa Bear!!) book. Biographies are often a hard write/read, you can not manipulate the facts or change the facts because that is what you are recording. I did not know much about Dean Smith prior to reading this book other than the fact that he was Michael Jordan's college coach, which is one of the reasons that I wanted to read the book. (the other being that I had read Mr Davis's writing before and enjoyed it.)

I kind of thought I would skip to the Michael Jordan parts and skim the rest of the book. I did not. While the pages spent on Tar Heel games and college politics were slow reading for me, I thought that the early years were fascinating as well as Dean Smith's social forward thinking and his willingness to be open and vocal about his political and social beliefs and his personal philosophies. This book kept the book's focused on the man, not just his basketball achievements and as such was a very good book.

If you are a North Carolina Tar Heel fan, a college basketball fan, a coach, or just someone who enjoys a well written modern biography, this is the book for you!

[David Barney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of Dean Smith and his basketball teams. He was an outstanding coach and person. Unfortunately, I was let down with this book. I was hoping to read more about his relationships with his players and coaches. With this being said, I am still "Dean Smith fan."

[Cats W. Bats, Esq.]

Haven't gotten the book I won in the giveaway yet.

[Paul Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This new biography of legendary North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith has its moments, particularly in the early chapters about Smith's Kansas upbringing and matriculation at the University of Kansas. Following several bunny trails as it traces Smith's career, the book is also a de facto history of college basketball. The assortment of stories, while interesting and educational, detract somewhat from the overall narrative. Ultimately, there may not be much new about Smith in the book, though it's a concise summary of his life and career. If that's what you want, you'll find it here, and you might look elsewhere for more details.