لم يكن أحدٌ، بعد والديّ، أعظم تأثيرًا في حياتي من الكوتش سميث. كان أكثر من مدرّب؛ كان مرشدي ومعلّمي وأبي الثاني. كان دائمًا حاضرًا لي كلما احتجتُه، وأحببتُه لذلك. وفي تعليمي لعبة كرة السلة، علّمني الحياة. قلبي مع ليني وأبنائهما. لقد فقدنا رجلًا عظيمًا ترك أثرًا بالغًا في لاعبيه وطاقمه وعائلة جامعة شمال كارولاينا كلّها.

“Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith. He was more than a coach – he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to Linnea and their kids. We've lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family.”Michael Jordan — Michael Jordan Refers To Dean Smith As His ‘Second Father’ In This Touching Statement