Dean Smith is a legend. Despite coaching before most of us were born, Smith left a legacy that few could surpass. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame while still coaching. It’s a feat not many are honored with.

On Sunday, Smith, longtime UNC Chapel Hill men’s basketball coach, died. He was 83.

The basketball community is currently in mourning, as they should be. Smith recorded 879 wins during his coaching career, the most of any Division I coach in history. He took the Tar Heels to 11 Final Four appearances, two NCAA Championships and 17 ACC Championship titles.

Smith also coached NBA legends Michael Jordan and James Worthy.

Smith coached at UNC from 1961-1997. In his 36 seasons, he had only one losing season.

That season, the only losing season Smith had with the Tar Heels, was his first season on the job. During the 1961-62 season, the Tar Heels went 8-9. After that, UNC had 35 consecutive winning seasons.

The basketball community has lost a great man, and a great coach. There was no one quite like Smith.

Smith coached with purpose. He taught his players about the game and about life. He wanted them to achieve all of their dreams and pushed them to want more.

Even after retiring from the game, Smith never left UNC. He remained in the background, being an adviser to both the players and current head coach Roy Williams, and his sage advice has kept the program on top.

His legendary success has remained a staple at the University of North Carolina. No other coach in history has done what he has done. It’s a hard loss, especially to the Tar Heel community that has so heavily relied on him.

No one could be like him, and for that, Dean Smith, you will be missed.