Dean Smith remembered for impact off the court

CHARLOTTE — As Eyewitness News reporters covered the passing of Dean Smith, they learned many stories about the influence he had off the court.

"He said what do you want to do?," said Buzz Peterson, a current Hornets Scout who played for Smith.

"I said I wanted to coach like you've been doing and he says, 'Oh no you don't want to do that.' 

Peterson said Smith tried to talk him out of it for 15 minutes.

"He was just so concerned about his pupils and that they were doing the things they loved," Peterson said.

Peterson told reporters Smith later helped him throughout his coaching career. He even gave Peterson four pieces of legal pad analyzing his under-sized Tulsa team that helped him win several games.

"I'm proud to say he was my coach, my mentor and a guy I have high respect for," Peterson said.

Former Eyewitness News Anchor Bill Walker came to know Smith as the two were starting their careers. Walker was a young radio reporter in Chapel Hill.

"We were both learning how to do our jobs," Walker said. "But he was always very kind and even at that early age -- he was a young man in his 30s at that point -- he was interested in me as a person and not just someone who was doing an interview with him."

Walker said when he crossed paths with Smith after moving to work in Charlotte, Smith always remembered specific details about him.

WSOC