Legendary Basketball Coach Dean Smith Left $200 To Each Of His Players So They Could Enjoy A Nice Dinner

The late UNC coach's trust sent letters to about 180 former players this month informing them of the gift.

Legendary UNC men's basketball coach Dean Smith passed away last month at age 83, but his players just got a reminder of how much he cared for them.

Getty Images/Doug Pensinger

Smith's trust this month informed about 180 of his players who lettered that their coach had gifted them $200 for a "dinner out."

Jim Dempsey @ChestPassDemps

Coach Smith willed his trust to send a $200 check to each his former players following his passing. #DeanSmith

04:55 PM - 26 Mar 2015

One of the letters, to former player Dante Calabria, began circulating on Twitter on Thursday.

The trustee confirmed the gift to the players to the Associated Press.

The letters told the players to "enjoy a dinner out compliments of Coach Dean Smith."

Former player Serge Zwikker told ESPN he was incredibly moved by the gesture.

Jeff Taylor / Reuters

"My wife opened the letter and handed it to me," he said. "At first I didn't know what it was, but when it hit me, it put a tear in my eye. Even after he passed, he was still all about his players."

Smith coached the Tar Heels from 1961 to 1997, and led them to two national championship victories.