UNC's Dean Smith to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Obama will announce on Thursday that Dean Smith will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to an ESPN.com report.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, according to the White House, and is “presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”

In addition to Smith, ESPN.com reported that Ernie Banks, known with affection as “Mr. Cub” for his Major League Baseball Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Cubs, will also receive the Medal of Freedom.

Smith coached at UNC from 1961 through 1997, retiring after 36 seasons, 879 victories and two national championships, which the Tar Heels won in 1982 and 1993. He guided the Tar Heels to the ACC tournament championship 13 times, and he led UNC to 11 Final Fours. At the time of his retirement, Smith was the most victorious coach in college basketball history.

In addition to what his teams accomplished on the court, Smith is remembered for the connection he shared with his players off of it. More than 95 percent of Smith’s lettermen graduated, and he fostered an atmosphere that kept players returning to campus years after they’d left school.

Smith in recent years has been suffering from a neurological disorder that has greatly diminished his memory.

Smith’s family in 2010 released a letter about his condition that read, in part: “Our dad has a progressive neurocognitive disorder that affects his memory.

“So now, he may not immediately recall the name of every former player from his many years in coaching, but that does not diminish what those players meant to him or how much he cares about them.”

Pat Summitt, the former Tennessee women’s basketball coach who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year. Other recipients who made their name in sports include: Stan Musial, Bill Russell, Billie Jean King, Muhammad Ali, Buck O’Neil, Frank Robinson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Hank Aaron.

-Andrew Carter