University of North Carolina Athletics
Dean Smith Award Dinner Tickets On Sale Now
September 11, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Tickets to the inaugural Dean Smith Award dinner, to be held on Tuesday November 10 in Chapel Hill, are on sale now at the University of North Carolina Athletic Ticket office, located at the Ernie Williamson Athletic Center on Skipper Bowles Drive.
Tickets are priced at $100 each (tables of eight seats are available). The dinner will be held on campus at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center, starting at 7 p.m. preceded by a VIP reception at 6 p.m. North Carolina coach Roy Williams, members of the Smith family and several former players from UNC and Georgetown are expected to be in attendance.
The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced on Sept. 9 that former Georgetown coach John Thompson has been selected as the first winner of the Dean Smith Award, named in honor of the legendary North Carolina coach.
Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, Thompson retired in 1999 with a 26-year record at Georgetown of 596-239. His 1984 team won the NCAA championship, and he took the Hoyas to three Final Fours and 19 NCAA tournament appearances. He was one of Smith's closest friends in coaching, an unofficial 'pupil,' of Coach Smith's dating to North Carolina's recruitment of one of Thompson's players while he was coaching at St. Anthony's High School in Washington, D.C.
All net proceeds from the dinner and memorabilia auction will benefit the Dean E. Smith Opening Doors Fund, which provides financial assistance for undergraduate students from low-income families and enables professionals in education and social work to pursue advanced degrees.
The silent auction will take place both before and after the dinner and award ceremony.
Tickets may be purchased in person at the UNC Athletic Ticket office, by calling 800-722-4335 or ordering online here.
If you are interested in helping to sponsor the dinner or buy group tickets, contact Brian Chacos at the Rams Club at (919) 843-2519 or chacos@ramsclub.com.
