ESPN's Dick Vitale Receives the 2025 Dean Smith Award from the US Basketball Writers Association
Vitale will be presented with the award next month at the associations College Basketball Awards Dinner.
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale has received the 2025 Dean Smith Award by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. The award honors individuals involved in college basketball.
What’s Happening:
- ESPN has shared a post on X celebrating their longtime analyst Dick Vitale’s 2025 Dean Smith Award.
- Vitale, whose commitment to basketball has made him a staple in the sport, was chosen for the award by the US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).
- On the association's official release about the award, they share that the Dean Smith Award was created in 2015 to honor the spirit of the late University of North Carolina coach. The Hall of Fame honoree was known for his kindness and genuine spirit beyond his accomplishments within the game.
- Past basketball, Vitale has long been committed to finding a cure for cancer. Through the V Foundation, which was founded in 1993 to honor his ESPN colleague Jim Valvano, Vitale’s annual “Dick Vitale Gala" has raised $92.8 million to find a cure.
- Vitale has been with ESPN since 1979, less than three months after the network's launch. Prior to that, he led East Rutherford High School to two New Jersey state championships and the University of Detroit to the NCAA tournament as a basketball coach.
- He then coached the NBA’s Detroit Pistons for a full season and part of another.
- Vitale was honored at Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
- Vitale will be presented with the 2025 Dean Smith Award at the USBWA College Basketball Awards Dinner at the Missouri Athletic Club on April 17th.
What They’re Saying:
- Stu Durando, President of USBWA: “There is no one more enthusiastic about discussing or promoting college basketball than Dick Vitale. The same goes for his advocacy for the V Foundation and work for pediatric cancer research, both of which have had a major impact. Dick's own public battle with cancer has been an inspiration for many. His influence has transcended the world of college basketball."
- Dick Vitale: “I have been so blessed to receive many honors, but this really touched me emotionally as I had the ULTIMATE RESPECT for Dean Smith, certainly as a magnificent coach but also for his values. I was always in AWE when in his company. This is a true honor to get an award with his name on it. Truly it is AWESOME BABY with a capital A!"
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