Former North Carolina coach Dean Smith affected many on his way to 879 wins, two national championships, and becoming one of the greatest coaches in history. Here are how some of those people reacted today. 

Roy Williams, current North Carolina head coach and former Smith assistant from 1978-88

“It’s such a great loss for North Carolina – our state, the university, of course the Tar Heel basketball program, but really the entire basketball world. We lost one of our greatest ambassadors for college basketball for the way in which a program should be run. We lost a man of the highest integrity who did so many things off the court to help make the world a better place to live in.

"He set the standard for loyalty and concern for every one of his players, not just the games won or lost.

"He was the greatest there ever was on the court but far, far better off the court with people. His concern for people will be the legacy I will remember most.

"He was a mentor to so many people; he was my mentor. He gave me a chance but, more importantly, he shared with me his knowledge, which is the greatest gift you can give someone.

"I’m 64 years old and everything I do with our basketball program and the way I deal with the University is driven by my desire to make Coach Smith proud. When I came back to Carolina, the driving force was to make him proud and I still think that today.

"I’d like to say on behalf of all our players and coaches, past and present, that Dean Smith was the perfect picture of what a college basketball coach should have been. We love him and we will miss him.”

Barack Obama, President of the United States

"Last night, America lost not just a coaching legend but a gentleman and a citizen. When he retired, Dean Smith had won more games than any other college basketball coach in history. He went to 11 Final Fours, won two national titles, and reared a generation of players who went on to even better things elsewhere, including a young man named Michael Jordan -- and all of us from Chicago are thankful for that.

But more importantly, Coach Smith showed us something that I've seen again and again on the court -- that basketball can tell us a lot more about who you are than a jumpshot alone ever could. He graduated more than 96 percent of his players and taught his teams to point to the teammate who passed them the ball after a basket. He pushed forward the Civil Rights movement, recruiting the first black scholarship athlete to North Carolina and helping to integrate a restaurant and a neighborhood in Chapel Hill. And in his final years, Coach Smith showed us how to fight an illness with courage and dignity. For all of that, I couldn't have been prouder to honor Coach Smith with the Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to his wife Linnea, to his family, and to his fans all across North Carolina and the country."

Bubba Cunningham, current North Carolina athletic director

"Dean Smith was a legendary Hall of Fame coach who will long be remembered as an innovator in the game of basketball and a pioneer for social justice. His legacy will always be a part of the University of North Carolina and will continue to inspire students for generations to come.”

John Swofford, current ACC commissioner and former UNC athletic director from 1980-1997

“We’ve known for a while this day would come, but it still hits hard.

"Sometimes we are blessed to be around certain people in our lives. For me, one of those people was Dean Smith. For 21 years I had the privilege of working with him.

"He personified excellence day-in and day-out, year-in and year-out. The remarkable number of wins is well-chronicled, but most importantly those wins came while teaching and living the right values. He won, his players graduated and he played by the rules. He was first and foremost a teacher, and his players were always the most important part of his agenda.

"His impact on the University of North Carolina, the Atlantic Coast Conference, college basketball and the sport itself, is immeasurable. His leadership off the court in areas such as race relations and education were less chronicled, but just as important.

"Sometimes the word legend is used with too little thought. In this instance, it almost seems inadequate. He was basketball royalty, and we have lost one of the greats in Dean Smith.”

Mike Krzyzewski, Duke coach since 1980

“I am incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of Coach Dean Smith. We have lost a man who cannot be replaced. He was one of a kind and the sport of basketball lost one of its true pillars.

"Dean possessed one of the greatest basketball minds and was a magnificent teacher and tactician. While building an elite program at North Carolina, he was clearly ahead of his time in dealing with social issues. However, his greatest gift was his unique ability to teach what it takes to become a good man. That was easy for him to do because he was a great man himself. All of his players benefited greatly from his basketball teachings, but even more from his ability to help mold men of integrity, honor and purpose. Those teachings, specifically, will live forever in those he touched.

"We offer our deepest sympathies – and gratitude for sharing his incredible life with us for so long - to Linnea, his children and the entire North Carolina family.”

Bill Guthridge, Smith's successor at North Carolina

“Dean was a great friend and a great coach. I will miss him dearly. He was devoted to me, and I to him, and I will forever be grateful for our friendship.”

Bobby Cremins, former Georgia Tech coach from 1981-2000

"Mike, Jimmy and I were known as the young guns. We knew for us to be successful we had to beat Dean Smith and North Carolina. Dean set the bar for ACC basketball, and Mike Krzyzewski broke it. Dean Smith – a wonderful man, great competitor. He had one of the sharpest minds I’ve ever seen.”

Jay Wright, current Villanova coach

Bobby Hurley, former Duke guard and current Buffalo coach

John Calipari, current Kentucky coach

Steve Wojciechowski, former Duke player and current coach of Marquette

Frank Martin, current South Carolina coach

Mark Gottfried, current North Carolina State coach

Bill Self, current Kansas coach

Michael Jordan, played for Smith from 1981-84

“Other than my parents, no one had a bigger influence on my life than Coach Smith. He was more than a coach — he was my mentor, my teacher, my second father. Coach was always there for me whenever I needed him and I loved him for it. In teaching me the game of basketball, he taught me about life. My heart goes out to [Smith's wife] Linnea and their kids. We’ve lost a great man who had an incredible impact on his players, his staff and the entire UNC family.”

Kobe Bryant, who has stated he would have gone UNC had he gone to college

James Worthy, who played for Smith at UNC from 1979-1982

Jerry Stackhouse, who played for Smith at UNC from 1993-1995

Shannon Scott, current Ohio State point guard whose father, Charles Scott, was the first African-American scholarship player at North Carolina and in the ACC

Marcus Paige, current North Carolina starting point guard

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