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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1997)
UNC’s ‘Dean of Basketball’ retires CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Dean Smith retired today as North Carolina’s basketball coach after 36 years, two national champi onships and more victories than anyone else in the history of the game. Smith said he could not bring as much enthusiasm to the team as he once had. “I enjoy basketball. I enjoy coaching basket ball,” Smith told a news conference. “It’s the out-of-season stuff I didn’t handle well.” Bill Guthridge, Smith’s longtime assistant, will succeed hjm. Guthridge said: “It’s all the little things that wore Dean out,” referring to his many public appearances, autograph signings and speeches. The 66-year-old Smith fought back tears and sipped from a cup of water as he thanked his players and colleagues for their help. 1 m the luckiest guy in the world ... to be at the University of North Carolina,” Smith said. He made his remarks in the basketball arena named for him. Also attending were his current team, Georgetown coach John Thompson and Philadelphia 76ers coach Larry Brown, who played for the Tar Heels. Smith even got a call from.President Clinton, a big college basketball fan. “There is nobody like you,” Clinton said. “But not just because you won, but because of the way you did it. We all respect and admire you so much.” Smith thanked Clinton and told him he had just finished a round of golf with Michael Jordan. Smith’s retirement shocked most everyone in the basketball fraternity. He said earlier this year he planned to honor his contract through 2001. “I take each year as it comes,” Smith said in March, “and I won’t make that decision in April, because every April I am probably (tired). So, you wait tQ see how excited you are in August. For 36 years I guess I’ve been excit ed in August and September. If that ever 66 I'm the luckiest guy in the world... to be at the University of North Carolina” Dean Smith retiring UNC basketball coach changed up until 2001, then I would make that decision.” Smith and Guthridge, 60, have been virtual ly inseparable through the years. Guthridge turned down several head coaching opportuni ties to remain on Smith’s staff. Smith leaves at the top of his profession, taking the Tar Heels to his 11th Final Four last season. He also guided the team to his 13th Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title during the 1996-97 campaign, which started with his first 0-3 league start. The Tar Heels are just nine days away from opening practice and are considered one of the contenders for the 1998 national title. Smith has won that title twice. Smith, with a career record of 879-254, broke Adolph Rupp’s career-victory mark of 876 last season during the NCAA tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C. He won national titles in 1982 and 1993. Smith’s teams have finished in the top three of the Atlantic Coast Conference for a record 33 straight seasons, including last season’s second place mark. The Tar Heels under Smith also posted an NCAA-record 27 straight 20-win seasons. He has coached 30 All-Americans, includ ing Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse, James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Mitch Kupchak, Charlie Scott and Billy Cunningham. NU coaches praise Smith's achievements By David Wilson Senior Reporter Nebraska women’s basketball coach Paul Sanderford is one of many coaches across the country to be influenced by Dean Smith, who announced his retirement Thursday. Smith, the winningest coach in Division I history, served as the head men’s basketball coach at North Carolina for 31 years. Sanderford, who is entering his first sea son at NU after coaching at Western Kentucky, grew up 30 miles from Chapel Hill, N.C., home of the Tar Heels. As the coach of Louisburg Junior College from 1977-81, Sanderford said he worked with Smith at summer basketball camps. “I think that the major thing that Coach Smith taught me was teamwork,” Sanderford said. “Team before individuals. Being unselfish on the basketball on the floor.” After perfecting the “four corners” offense - a stall technique - Smith became solely responsible for the addition of the shot clock in men’s basketball, Sanderford said. “I think he’s been ahead of the game since he started,” Sanderford said. “He’s always been ahead of the game. He’s an inno vator.” Sanderford said many of his basketball philosophies were influenced by Smith, but Smith also had a good philosophy on life. “I saw him out of his element a little bit,” Sanderford said. “He’s very gentile and soft spoken.” Ervin Williams, NU’s director of women’s basketball operations, agreed. As a player at Louisburg Junior College, Williams said he stopped by Smith’s office once or twice. “He’s a real nice guy,” Williams said. “He is very positive. If there is anything he could do for you, he’d do it. He’s the kind of guy that you wish there were more people around like him.” Williams also grew up in North Carolina and said he was shocked when he heard of Smith’s retirement. “You can’t mention the University of North Carolina without mentioning Dean Smith,” Williams said. “Everybody knows wha>Dean Smith has done. He’s done so mdch for the common good. He will be sore ly missed, and I hope that whoever takes his place will be as successful as he was. You will not find another coach that has stayed at an institution as long as he has and accom plished the things he has.” A similar comparison, Sanderford said, is the reign of Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne. “To Nebraskans, he’s the Tom Osborne of basketball,” Sanderford said. “Just his class and the way he handles himself. He is very low-key about it. I see a lot of similarities between the two. And that’s a compliment to Coach Osborne.” But just because Smith is off the court doesn’t mean he has left basketball. “He’s still going to have an impact on the game,” Sanderford said. “Respect and rever ence are the two words.” Williams agreed that Smith’s legacy will live forever. “He will be remembered as ‘The Dean of Basketball,”’ Williams said. Football Starters Nebraska Starters v=t=T 55=5 Offense r* ; Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt Yr. SE 89 Jeff Lake 6*4 210 Sr. LT 73 Fred Pollack 6-4 305 Sr. LG .67 Aaron Taylor 6-1 305 Sr. C 59 Josh Heskew 6-3 280 Jr. RG 64 Jon Zatechka 6-2 290 Sr. RT 70 Eric Anderson 6-4 305 Sr. TE 90 Tta Carpenter 6-3 250 Sr. QB 7 Scott Frost ' 6-3 220 Sr. FB 45 Joel Makovicka 5-11 235 Jr. IB 30 Ahman Green 6-0 215 Jr. WB 14 Lance Brown 5-11 180 So. PK 35 Kris Brown r 5-10 205 Jr. Baylor Starters V Offense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QT 69 Michael Johnson 6-3 309 Sr. QG 65 Derrick Fletcher 6-6 350 Jr. C 57 Anthony Williams 6-2 272 Jr. SG 79 David Davis 6-4 317 Sr. ST 59 Kelvin garmon 6-2 298 Jr. QB 7 Jeff Watson 6-0 215 Sr. RB 22 Jerod Douglas 5-8 180 Sr. FB 4 Derek Lagway 6-1 " 224 Fr. WR 9 Morris Anderson 6-1 191 Jr. WR 13 Derrius Thompson 6-2 210 Jr. TE 80 BradeyDomet 64 233 Sr. P 33 KyleAtteberry 6-0 175 So. Saturday 6 p.m. Floyd Casey Stadium Defense Pos. No. Name Ht Wt Yr. LR 57 Chad Keisay 6-3 250 Jr. DT 99 Jason Wiltz 6-3 310 Jr. DT 55 Jason Peter 6-5 285 Sr. RR 98 Grant Wistrom 6-5 225 Sr. SLB 46 Brian Shaw 6*1 215 So. MLB 44 Jay Foreman 6-1 235 Jr. WLB 4 Octavious McFarlin 5*11 200 Sr. LCB 11 Erwin Swiney 6-1 180 Fr. FS 3 Eric Warfield 6-0 195 Sr. ROV 21 Mike Brown 5-11 205 So. RCB 22 Ralph Brown 5-10 180 So. P 19 Jesse Kosch 6-0 190 Sr. Defense Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. LE 58 Glenn Coy 6-3 254 Sr. LT 82 Dwight Johnson 6-4 271 So. RT 90 Chris Sampy 6-1 270 Jr. RF 48 Charles Foster 6-1 238 So. SL 20 CiarenceCruse 6-3 224 Jr. ML 45 KrisMicheaux 6-1 233 Fr. WL 55 Jason Jackson 6-0 216 So. CB 15 Matt Anderson 5-11 188 Sr. FS 8 NBria Codie 6-3 207 Jr. SS 14 Rodney Smith 6-0 223 So. CB 23 Robert Neal 5-9 197 So. K 99 Matt Bryant 5-9 190 So. Troubled Baylor prepares to face NU BAYLOR from page 9_ Floyd Casey stadium in Waco, Texas, this Saturday. The game will also feature NU’s offense, which leads the nation, averag ing 525 yards per game, and Baylor’s defense, which is 94th in the country, giving up 435 yards per game. Baylor sophomore defensive end Justin Snow anchors the Bears defense, which has had trouble stopping oppo nents and now will have.its biggest test of the season against the Huskers. “They have a tremendous offensive football team that lives on the big plays,” Snow said. “We have to do everything in our power to stop those big plays from happening.” The success of the Husker offense this season has been, as always, the option game. Snow said that for the Bears to slow it down, they have to focus on NU senior quarterback Scott Frost. v “This whole week has been nothing but option in practice,” Snow said. “(Frost) is a strong option quarterback, and we have to do what we can to stop him.” The Bears have allowed opponents to score an average of 38 points per game. Saturday’s game will be Baylor’s second game against a top 10 opponent, as the Bears suffered a 38-3 loss at No. 6 Michigan on September 20. Snow called Michigan a solid foot ball team, but expects Nebraska to be the best team the Bears will face all sea son. “On film, I haven’t seen a better team,” Snow said. “They pretty much ran the ball down our throats last sea son. They are a bit intimidating, to be honest with you.” Last season against Baylor, the Huskers ran for 491 yards on 65 carries and gained 669 yards in total offense. On offense Baylor is hoping to get on the scoreboard for die first time this decade against the Huskers. The Bears haven’t scored on the Huskers in two games, being shut out a year ago and in 1990(13-0). Playing Nebraska won’t make Baylor’s task this year any easier, senior offensive tackle Michael Johnson said. “They have great team defense, especially up front,” Johnson said. “They have a stable defensive line, and their linebackers are tough, and very fast” • Johnson said if the Bears play a near-perfect ballgame, they will be able to move the ball on the Husker defense. “We’re going to go out there and compete the best we can,” Johnson said. “We’re not going to do anything complicated. It’s just going to be hat on hat.” Both players concede that the prospects of beating the Huskers are slim, but look at the game as a tool in the rebuilding process. “I’ve always been someone who wants to play the best,” Snow said. “We might not win the game, but his always exciting to take on the best teams.” Matt Miller/DN NU’S ISABELLE MORNEAU will lead the Huskers against San Diego and Kentucky this weekend at the Abbott Sports Complex. Soccer conferences clash SOCCER from page 9 _ gy starts from the backfield, but stretches all the way up the field. “We are big on the team defensive concept,” Walker said. “Obviously if we win a lot of balls up front we are going to create scoring chances and they aren’t going to have the ball.” While NU is keeping its opponents off the scoreboard, it’s having no prob lem scoring goals. Since returning home on Sept. 18, the Hiiskers have scored 32 goals. Junior Kim Engesser has led the Husker attack with nine goals during the homestand. Engesser’s 13 goals overall leads the Big 12 and ties her for fifth in the nation. San Diego lost nine starters from last year’s team, while Kentucky was ranked in the first two NSCAA top 25 polls, but dropped out after early sea son losses. Five of Kentucky’s six loss es this season have been shutouts. “We are approaching it like they are two NCAA tournament type pro grams,” Walker said. “It is good to test ourselves against teams from other conferences.” San Diego has been outscored 28 22 on the season.USD coach John Cossaboon said his team needs to learn what competition is at this level of soccer. “We know we have to come into this > place with nothing but our best soccer,” Cossaboon said. “We are playing in front of everything that works for them and against us. It is a time to grow up and learn and see what you are made of.”