Even in Death Dean Smith Keeps Coaching

Ball-basketball-competition-23462The world of college basketball recently collectively mourned over the passing of legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith. We are now learning that Smith found a way to continue coaching his team by using his will.

 

Dean Smith is considered to be one of the greatest coaches in the history of college basketball. There can be no doubt that he changed the fundamental nature of the game. His teams used to play a slow, four corners offense that delayed the game as long as possible.

 

Coach Smith’s tactics led to so much stalling and lack of action that the shot clock was introduced to counter it.

 

However, if you talk to Smith’s players and colleagues, they will say that his greatest influence was his coaching and the life lessons he taught his players. He included another lesson for them in his will: 180 former players will receive a check for $200 with instructions to have a dinner on the coach.

 

One player remarked that the lesson being taught is friendship. Bloomberg has more on the story in an article titled “Dean Smith Dinner Bequest Is One of His ‘Lessons’ to Team.”

 

The lesson to be learned here is that wills and estate plans do not have to just be a cold distribution of assets. They are capable of many things, including teaching lessons to loved ones.

 

Contact your estate planning attorney about “lessons” you would like to leave through your estate plan.

 

Reference: Bloomberg (March 26, 2015) “Dean Smith Dinner Bequest Is One of His ‘Lessons’ to Team.”

 

 

Leave a well prepared estate plan, contact us to speak to an attorney today!

 

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