College basketball coaching icon Dean Smith is suffering from a "progressive neurocognitive disorder" affecting his memory, his family said in an e-mail to former North Carolina players Saturday.  "Although some of the ways he experiences daily life have changed," the family wrote in the four-paragraph note released by the school, "he still cherishes his many relationships with Carolina basketball, his family and his friends ...  "He may not immediately recall the name of every former player from his many years in coaching, but that does not diminish what those players meant to him or how much he cares about them."  Smith, 79, who retired in 1997 as the sport's winningest coach, has slowed but continues to golf, attend a grandson's baseball games and follow current Carolina coach Roy Williams and his team on television, the e-mail said. The family said it was speaking out after recent media reports of the Hall of Famer's memory lapses.  "What other people may have noticed — and what has been speculated about recently in the media — is that our dad may not remember quite like he used to," his family said. "It's a stark contrast, because he is widely known for remembering a name, a place, a game, a story – it's what made other people feel like they were special, because our dad remembered everything."  The note said Smith has undergone two medical procedures in the past three years, one a knee replacement, the other to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm.  He has maintained a low profile since calling a close to a 36-year coaching career that produced 879 victories, two national championships and nine other NCAA Final Four appearances. The record win total was surpassed in 2007 by Bob Knight, then at Texas Tech.  Smith made an emotion-filled public appearance almost 11 months ago, at a charity alumni game in conjunction with a yearlong celebration of North Carolina's centennial season. He walked onto the court with Williams, Bill Guthridge and Eddie Fogler — all former assistants — and was surrounded by dozens of his former players as a sellout crowd of almost 22,000 roared in the arena bearing his name, the Tar Heels' Dean E. Smith Center.  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
'Progressive neurocognitive disorder' affecting UNC coaching legend Dean Smith - Campus Rivalry: College Football & Basketball News, Recruiting, Game Picks, and More - USATODAY.com