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Support the Request to Ask NCDOT to Place Honorary Highway Name Signs for Dean Smith and Roy Williams on Sections of U.S. Highway 40.
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Staff: |
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Pam Hemminger, Mayor |
Mayor’s Office |
Overview: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wants to honor Dean Smith and Roy Williams by designating a portion of U.S. Highway 40 in their name. The North Carolina Department of Transportation requires support, preferably unanimous, in the form of a resolution from the local municipality to consider designating a portion of a state roadway in honor of a person.
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Recommendation(s): |
That the Council adopt resolutions sending support for the highway designations.
Where is this item in its process?
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Attachments: |
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• Resolution Dean Smith Highway Designation |
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• Resolution Roy Williams Highway Designation |
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• NCDOT Honorary Designations of State Transportation Assets, Employee Memorial Program |
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE REQUEST THAT NCDOT PLACE THE HONORARY HIGHWAY NAME FOR THE SECTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 40 FROM EXIT 270 TO EXIT 273 AS THE DEAN SMITH HIGHWAY. (2021-11-17/R-4)
WHEREAS, Dean Smith was born in Emporia, Kan., graduated from the University of Kansas where he won an NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1952 as a player, was an assistant coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and became assistant coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1958; and
WHEREAS Dean Smith was named head coach of the Tar Heels in 1961 and held that position for 36 seasons until he retired from coaching in 1997; and
WHEREAS Dean Smith was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Dean Smith, in 2000, was named one of the seven greatest coaches of the 20th Century by ESPN, with Red Auerbach (Boston Celtics), Bear Bryant (Alabama football), George Halas (Chicago Bears), Vince Lombardi (Green Bay Packers), John McGraw (MLB’s New York Giants) and John Wooden (UCLA men’s basketball); and
WHEREAS Dean Smith retired as the winningest men’s basketball coach in NCAA history with 879 victories; and
WHEREAS Dean Smith is Carolina’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach and the Tar Heels’ home arena is officially named the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center; and
WHEREAS, Dean Smith was awarded the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, UNC’s Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement and numerous other prestigious honors and awards, including eight-time Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year and four-time National Coach of the Year; and
WHEREAS Dean Smith led the Tar Heels to NCAA championships in 1982 and 1993, 13 ACC Tournament titles, 17 regular-season ACC championships and an NIT championship; and
WHEREAS Dean Smith was head coach of the 1976 United States Olympic Team, which won a gold medal in the Montreal Summer Games; and
WHEREAS, Dean Smith is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the FIBA Hall of Fame, the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, the United States Basketball Writers Association of America created the Dean Smith Award to honor a collegiate basketball coach who honors embodies the spirit and standards of Dean Smith to be an agent of change beyond sport, and to influence and impact athletes, the campus community, those in need and the community at large; and
WHEREAS, Dean Smith was father to Sandy, Sharon, Scott, Kristen and Kelly, and was married to Dr. Linnea Smith.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council wishes to express its appreciation for the public services given and contributions made by Dean Smith by supporting the request that NCDOT place the honorary highway name for the section of US 40 from exit 270 to exit 273 as the Dean Smith Highway.
This the 17th day of November, 2021.
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE REQUEST THAT NCDOT PLACE THE HONORARY HIGHWAY NAME FOR THE SECTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 40 FROM EXIT 266 TO EXIT 270 AS THE ROY WILLIAMS HIGHWAY. (2021-11-17/R-5)
WHEREAS Roy Williams grew up in Asheville, N.C., was graduated from T.C. Roberson High School in 1968, earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1972 and master’s in teaching in 1973 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams was head coach at Owen High School in Swannanoa, N.C., from 1973-78, assistant men’s basketball coach at UNC from 1978-88, head coach at the University of Kansas from 1988-2003 and head coach at UNC from 2003-21; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams is the second-winningest men’s basketball coach at UNC, retiring after 18 seasons with 485 victories; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams is the only men’s basketball coach in NCAA history with 400 wins at two schools; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and is an inductee in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams led UNC to NCAA championships in 2005, 2009 and 2017 and is the only men’s basketball coach in NCAA history to win three national championships at his alma mater; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams retired from coaching in 2021 No. 1 all-time in NCAA history in wins over No. 1 ranked teams in the Associated Press poll; No. 2 in NCAA Tournament wins, games and No. 1 seeds; No. 2 in 30-win seasons; No. 3 in wins by a Division I coach; No. 4 in NCAA championships; No. 4 in Final Four appearances; No. 5 in regular-season conference championships; and No. 6 in winning percentage; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams won his 900th career game in fewer games and fewer seasons than any coach in NCAA men’s basketball history; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill officially named the playing court at the Dean E. Smith Center as the Roy Williams Court; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams received a Distinguished Service Medal from UNC’s General Alumni Association; and
WHEREAS Roy Williams has been married to Wanda Williams (UNC ’72) for 48 years, is father of Scott and Kimberly, and grandfather of Aiden, Court, Kayson and Kenzie; and
WHEREAS Roy and Wanda Williams donated nearly $6 million to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill while head coach, contributing to such programs as the Carolina Covenant, the Chancellor’s Science Scholars, cancer research and athletic scholarships.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council wishes to express its appreciation for the public services given and contributions made by Roy Williams by supporting the request that NCDOT place the honorary highway name for the section of U.S. Highway 40 from exit 266 to exit 270 as the Roy Williams Highway.
This the 17th day of November, 2021.
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The Agenda will reflect the text below and/or the motion text will be used during the meeting. |
presenter
By adopting the resolutions, the Council supports the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s requests that NCDOT name sections of U.S. Highway 40 for Dean Smith and Roy Williams.