
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 31, 1994                   TAG: 9403310026
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NO REASON TO KNOCK DEAN SMITH

I want to thank Jack Bogaczyk on his article in your March 21 edition, "The Dean of All Coaches." Although I am used to his column being boring and uninformative, this time [it] was able to add a third dimension - class - third class, that is. It is easy to kick a program after a disappointing loss, but Bogaczyk must have really had to search deep to knock a man like Dean Smith. Perhaps his bitterness is due to support of local institutions.

I realize that Coach Smith is not perfect. I'm sure he curses, kicks his dog and probably gets parking tickets. I also realize that over the past 10 or 15 years, he's been lucky enough to recruit great players. But I can remember when he won a championship with just five players (1982) and made it to the final game with a center named Rich Yonaker. Good players want to play for good coaches, and recruiting is a large part of coaching. The rap on Dean used to be "he never wins the big one," or "he gets all the calls." Now, it's "he gets all the best players." But I've never heard "he whines too much."

Puh-leez, Mr. Bogaczyk. I'm not the one putting Dean Smith on a pedestal; you are not allowing him to be human after a disappointing loss.

Boo-hoo, Mr. Bogaczyk. Who's whining now?\ SCOTT PAKSOY\ THAXTON

by CNB