OAK RIDGE -- Coaching legend Dean Smith believes Tennessee has a good coach in place for its basketball program.

Smith also believes UT had a good coach before Bruce Pearl was hired last spring to replace Buzz Peterson.

"I saw his team (Pearl's) this year and certainly he has an outstanding background and I'm sure will do an excellent job," Smith said Saturday during the East Tennessee Coaches Clinic at Oak Ridge High School.

"I was disappointed because I think Buzz would have (been successful) if he had stayed on and if (Brandon) Crump hadn't gotten hurt. Buzz certainly was successful at Appy (Appalachian) State and also at Tulsa. You don't lose it all of a sudden."

Smith, North Carolina's head coach from 1961-97 and college's all-time winningest men's coach, was disappointed Peterson didn't get another year as UT's coach.

Peterson was fired at the end of the 2004-05 season. Pearl took Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the NCAA Sweet 16 last spring and replaced Peterson.

Peterson played for Smith and was a member of North Carolina's 1982 national championship team. Peterson was head coach at Appalachian State for four seasons (1996-2000) and at Tulsa for one season (2000-01).

When Jerry Green did not return as UT's coach after the 2000-01 season, Smith recommended Peterson for the job.

Smith, 74, said he thought UT athletic director Mike Hamilton was going to give Peterson another year, especially after the Vols beat Arkansas in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

"Of course, it's none of my business, but everything that this guy (Hamilton) was saying from what I heard was positive, and it was really a done deal (that Peterson would be fired)," Smith said. "That's why I was disappointed."

Smith said he believes Peterson will be successful in his new job at Coastal Carolina.

Asked why he thought Peterson didn't have more success at UT, Smith said, "Well, number one, I've seen so many of those last-minute shots that went against them. So (much) bad luck, his personnel wasn't quite what I would think, cause I watched every TV game. But he's a very good teacher. You watch, (Coastal Carolina) will do well."

Smith said he doesn't know Pearl personally, but he does know one of Pearl's mentors, Tom Davis.

Pearl was an assistant under Davis for 14 seasons at Boston College, Stanford, and Iowa.

"I don't know (Pearl) personally as much as I know Tom Davis, whom I respect, and he was a longtime assistant to Tom Davis, but I've been impressed with (Pearl) and his team (at Wisconsin-Milwaukee)," Smith said.

Smith said the Tennessee job is attractive and the program has the potential to be one of the better ones in the SEC.

"It has to be better than some other jobs in the league, I would imagine," Smith said. "I don't buy the women doing well hurts the men. Somebody said we're (North Carolina) a basketball school, and I said, 'No we're a women's soccer school.' Our soccer team's great."

Smith chuckled when told he became a hot topic in Knoxville when Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt broke his record for career victories last season.

He said his goal was never to be the "quote No. 1."

Smith said UT should be able to have a successful men's program that coexists with Summitt's program.

"I know certainly Pat has it going great, and at Connecticut, they still have two good (basketball) teams," Smith said. "I remember when coach (Ray) Mears with Ernie (Grunfeld) and (Bernard) King, you know, they were good.

"It isn't like you can't have it with that arena, and Knoxville's a great city. I can see them doing well and I think Buzz would have accomplished that and I do hope that Pearl will now."