Dean Smith Leaves Phenomenal Parting Gift to All His Former Players

The man known for the four corners offense is now known for the $200 gift.

Dean Smith coach passed away in February, but the legendary North Carolina coach made sure to thank his players with an unexpected surprise by leaving each one $200 to use on a nice dinner.

Part of the letter reads:

Each player was important and special to Coach Smith and when he prepared his estate plan, Coach wanted to reach out to each of his lettermen. Accordingly, Coach directed that following his passing each letterman be sent a two hundred dollar check with the message 'enjoy a dinner out compliments of Coach Dean Smith.' Enclosed is a check in the amount of two hundred dollars with the notation 'Dinner Out.'

The trustee of Smith's trust, Tim Breedlove, sent the checks to some 180 people who played for Smith at UNC. All told, that comes to roughly $36,000 and adds to the legacy of Smith being one of the nice guys in college sports.

Serge Zwikker, played for Smith from 1993-1997, and said it was typical of his coach to make such a gesture. "My wife opened the letter and handed it to me," he said. "At first I didn't know what it was, but when it hit me, it put a tear in my eye. Even after he passed, he was still all about his players."