[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H9566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO DEAN SMITH

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, Thursday, October 9 was a very sad day 
for basketball and sports fans alike. After 36 seasons as head coach of 
the North Carolina Tarheels, Dean Smith, the ultimate competitor, left 
his post and passed the reins to his longtime assistant. With this 
announcement, Dean Smith ended an era in college basketball. His record 
of 879 total victories, 11 trips to the Final Four, 13 ACC 
Championships, and 2 National Championships will never be matched.
  These stats and scores point out what every basketball fan already 
knows. Dean Smith is the winningest coach in college basketball 
history. His impact on the sports history books is only rivaled by his 
impact on the lives, hearts, and minds of his players. To quote a 
lesser known Tarheel, Michael Jordan, he says, ``He's like a father 
figure to us all.''
  Today I honor a man who represents the best that college sports has 
to offer, a man of true integrity and class who makes North Carolinians 
proud that he calls Chapel Hill home. Thank you, Coach Smith, for your 
many years of commitment. We surely will miss you.

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