UNC Basketball: The 15 Tar Heels opposing fans hated most

Dean Smith

Despite being one of the most beloved, highly regarded coaches in the history of sports, there were people who hated Dean Smith years ago. I don’t know if any of those people exist today, and I pity the person that somehow hates Smith in the year 2019. But once upon a time, it wasn’t uncommon for people to dislike the former UNC head coach.

There are a number of reasons why opposing fans didn’t like Smith, and none of them merit his inclusion on this list. The soft-spoken, mild-mannered Smith was hated primarily because he was a winner. In 36 years as a head coach of the UNC basketball program, Smith won 879 games, went to 11 Final Fours and captured two NCAA Tournament titles. And that was enough for some fans to hate him.

Some also blamed him for making the game of basketball boring by utilizing his “four corners” offense that slowed the game down, and decreased scoring. Duke fans, in particular, were not a big fan of Smith, but mostly just because of how difficult his teams were to beat, and how often his Tar Heels came out on top.

Smith was disliked by some for his work outside of basketball that focused on civil rights and equality for African-Americans. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, he had lots of opposition — some of which came from his own fan base, though many overlooked it because of his track record on the court — but Smith was steadfast in his beliefs. Smith famously helped integrate a Chapel Hill restaurant as well as recruit the university’s first black scholarship athlete, Charlie Scott. Examples of Smith’s civil service go on and on, and he was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Another reason that fans didn’t like Smith was because of his team approach to the game of basketball. It’s no surprise that much of it came from his own fan base, many of which felt that he held players back in his system, particularly Michael Jordan. Smith was jokingly known as the “only person to ever hold Michael Jordan under 20 points”, and there was a certain amount of merit to it. But Smith believed in his system and his approach, and he stuck with it. In the process, he became one of the greatest and most innovative coaches — in any sport — to ever live.

In the years since his retirement, and particularly after his passing in 2015, people have come to let go of their hate for Smith, recognizing him as one of the most impactful coaches — and humans — in history. He’s lovingly revered today as such, and you’re not likely to find many who still hold ill feelings toward the legendary coach.