Pat Summitt

2.1. Childhood and education

Summitt began playing basketball at the age of six on a hoop her father installed in a barn, an early influence that fostered her lifelong passion for the sport. When she was in high school, her family moved to nearby Henrietta, specifically so she could play basketball in Cheatham County, as Clarksville did not have a girls' team at the time. After high school, Summitt attended the University of Tennessee at Martin. During her collegiate athletic career, she earned All-American honors playing for UT-Martin's first women's basketball coach, Nadine Gearin. In 1970, before the passage of Title IX in 1972, athletic scholarships for women were non-existent. While her brothers received athletic scholarships, Summitt's parents had to pay for her college tuition, highlighting the financial disparities in women's sports during that era.

3.1. College player

At the University of Tennessee at Martin, Summitt's dedication to basketball shone through. Under Coach Nadine Gearin, she developed her skills, earning All-American recognition. The financial challenges of attending college for women athletes at the time, particularly the lack of athletic scholarships, were a personal experience for Summitt, whose parents directly financed her education despite her brothers receiving scholarships.

3.2. United States national team player

Summitt's talent quickly propelled her to the national stage. She was a member of the U.S. women's basketball team that competed at the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City. Coached by future Hall of Famer Cathy Rush, the team, which included notable players like Lusia Harris, Nancy Lieberman, Ann Meyers, and Juliene Simpson, won all six of their games, securing the gold medal by defeating Brazil 74-55 in the championship game.

Her most prominent playing achievement came in 1976 when she co-captained the United States women's national basketball team at the inaugural women's basketball tournament at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. The team earned a silver medal, marking a historic moment for women's basketball on the Olympic stage.

4.1. 1970s: Beginnings and early challenges

Summitt's coaching journey began unexpectedly just before the 1974-75 season. At only 22 years old, she became a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee, and was quickly named head coach of the Lady Vols after the previous coach unexpectedly resigned. The early era of women's college basketball, predating NCAA sanctioning, was characterized by limited resources. Summitt earned a monthly salary of 250 USD and famously recalled having to drive the team van and even wash players' uniforms, which had been purchased from the proceeds of a doughnut sale. She reminisced about players sleeping in opposing teams' gyms and re-wearing unwashed uniforms for consecutive games, underscoring the deep passion for the sport that drove them.

In her first year, Summitt coached a team where four players were only a year younger than her, all from Tennessee high schools that still used a six-person game (offensive and defensive players did not cross mid-court) until 1980. Her first game as head coach was on December 7, 1974, a narrow 84-83 loss to Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Her first victory followed nearly a month later, on January 10, 1975, with a 69-32 win over Middle Tennessee State. The Lady Vols won the Tennessee College Women's Sports Federation (TCWSF) Eastern District Championship, but finished fourth overall in the TCWSF and did not qualify for the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) tournament.

In her second season (1975-76), Summitt led the Lady Vols to a 16-11 record while simultaneously completing her master's degree in physical education and training for the 1976 Olympics. From the 1976-77 season onward, she coached two consecutive 20-win teams, securing back-to-back AIAW Region II championships. In 1978, the Lady Vols defeated three-time AIAW champion Delta State University by 20 points, earning Tennessee its first number one national ranking. That year, Tennessee participated in its first AIAW Final Four, finishing third. Summitt also recorded her 100th coaching win during this season, a 79-66 victory over NC State. The 1970s concluded with the Lady Vols winning the inaugural SEC tournament and reaching the AIAW Final Four again in 1980, where they finished as runner-up to Old Dominion with a 68-53 loss.

4.2. 1980s: First national championships and program building

The 1980-81 season saw the Lady Vols achieve a 25-6 record, including three victories against their previous championship rival, Old Dominion. They made their third consecutive AIAW Final Four appearance, finishing runner-up for the second year in a row after losing 79-59 to Louisiana Tech.

The 1981-82 season marked a pivotal moment with the introduction of the first ever NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The Lady Vols, invited as a 2 seed, made history by upsetting top-seeded USC 91-90 in overtime in the regional championship, advancing to the NCAA Final Four. They ultimately lost to Louisiana Tech, who went on to win the tournament.

In the 1982-83 season, the Lady Vols claimed the regular season SEC title but were defeated by Georgia in the SEC tournament. As the first-ever 1 seed in the now 36-team NCAA tournament, Tennessee reached the regional championship before falling again to Georgia, 67-63. On December 3, Summitt recorded her 200th win with a 69-56 victory over St. John's during the Coca-Cola Classic in Detroit. The 1983-84 season, despite a 6-4 start, saw Summitt rally her team to a 22-10 record, achieving her eighth consecutive 20-win season. Tennessee reached the NCAA Final Four for the second time in three tournaments and made it to the title game, where they lost to USC. Summitt earned Coach of the Year honors for her efforts. The following 1984-85 season continued the trend of 20-win seasons, with Tennessee securing both the regular season SEC title and the tournament title. However, their NCAA tournament run ended in the Sweet Sixteen against Ole Miss. The 1985-86 season saw a similar outcome, with the Lady Vols reaching the Final Four but again falling short of the title.

The breakthrough came in 1986-87, when Tennessee decisively defeated perennial power Louisiana Tech 67-44 to claim the Lady Vols' first national title. Tonya Edwards was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Earlier in the regular season, Summitt achieved her 300th win, an 87-66 victory over North Carolina. In 1987-88, the Lady Vols were poised for a repeat, reaching the Final Four once more, but Louisiana Tech avenged their previous loss with a 9-point victory in the semifinal and went on to win the championship.

The 1988-89 season saw the Lady Vols make their fourth consecutive Final Four appearance. After defeating Maryland by 12 points, Tennessee faced SEC rival Auburn in the national title game. Having previously beaten Auburn by 15 points in the SEC Championship, Tennessee repeated their dominance with a 76-60 victory, securing their second national title in three years. This was Tennessee's best season yet, with a dominant 35-2 record, losing only two regular season games to Auburn and Texas. All NCAA tournament wins were by at least 12 points.

In 1989-90, the Lady Vols started strong, winning the SEC regular season title. However, they lost by 1 point to Auburn in the SEC Championship Game and fell in overtime to Virginia in the regional finals, just one game shy of the Final Four, which was held in Knoxville that year. During this season, Summitt reached another milestone, her 400th win, a 70-69 victory over South Carolina on January 25.

4.3. 1990s: Dynasty established

The 1990-91 season saw Tennessee miss out on SEC regular season and tournament championships. However, after a close win against Western Kentucky in the NCAA regional semifinals, the Lady Vols eliminated Auburn for the second time in three years. In the national semifinals, Tennessee defeated Stanford 68-60, earning a chance to avenge their previous year's tournament loss against Virginia. The championship game also went into overtime, with Tennessee securing a narrow 70-67 victory and their third national title in five years.

The next season, 1991-92, the Lady Vols fell to Western Kentucky 75-70 in the regional championship. In 1992-93, Tennessee defeated defending champions Stanford twice and achieved their first-ever sweep of the SEC season. However, they were unable to win the SEC tournament title and lost 72-56 to Iowa in the NCAA tournament regional finals.

Early in the 1993-94 season, on November 21, Summitt achieved her 500th win, an 80-45 victory over Ohio State. Tennessee went on to win both the regular season and tournament SEC titles but fell 71-68 to Louisiana Tech in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament. The subsequent season marked Tennessee's return to the Final Four. The Lady Vols completed their third consecutive undefeated SEC regular season, though they did not win the conference tournament. As the top seed, they advanced to their fifth national title game with dominant wins (no game closer than 21 points), but lost 70-64 to the undefeated UConn Huskies, coached by Summitt's rival, Geno Auriemma, marking UConn's first of many championships. During the off-season, Summitt successfully recruited high school standout Chamique Holdsclaw.

In 1995-96, with freshman Holdsclaw and senior Michelle M. Marciniak, the Lady Vols won the SEC tournament and made their second consecutive Final Four appearance. In the semifinals, they avenged their previous year's loss to UConn, ousting Auriemma's Huskies with a hard-fought 5-point overtime win. The championship game was less contested, as Tennessee easily secured its fourth title with an 83-65 victory over Georgia.

The 1996-97 Lady Vols had one of Summitt's worst regular season records, including losses to powerhouses such as Louisiana Tech (twice), Stanford, Old Dominion, and Connecticut, and previously undefeated opponents like Florida. On November 23, 1996, Summitt earned her 600th win with a 15-point victory over Marquette. The team finished the regular season with a 23-10 record. Despite this, Tennessee rallied in the NCAA tournament, stunning previously undefeated Connecticut in the regional final before defeating Notre Dame and Old Dominion in the Final Four to win their second consecutive national championship. This championship team was the subject of an HBO documentary titled A Cinderella Season: The Lady Vols Fight Back.

Many consider the 1997-98 team to be Summitt's greatest. Featuring the top-ranked recruiting class and Chamique Holdsclaw, the Lady Vols achieved a perfect 39-0 season, playing one of the nation's toughest schedules. Only three teams came within 10 points of beating them. They secured their third straight national championship with a 93-75 victory over Louisiana Tech. After the game, opposing coach Leon Balmore declared Tennessee the "best ever," a sentiment echoed by Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.

Holdsclaw had won national championships in every season she played for the Vols and predicted the 1998-99 team would be even better. However, injuries to several players hampered the team, and the Lady Vols fell to Duke in the regional finals, missing the Final Four. Despite this, a landmark was set: Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, and Semeka Randall became the first trio from one team to be named Kodak All-Americans.

The Lady Vols ended the decade with their third consecutive 30-win season, third consecutive SEC title, and third consecutive SEC Tournament title. They also defeated UConn 72-71 in the regular season, inflicting UConn's only loss of the year. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee advanced easily to the title game, winning all five games by at least 10 points. However, they were soundly defeated by UConn 71-52 in the championship, marking the fourth time in six years that these two rivals had eliminated each other from the tournament. UConn's two wins during this period came in championship games, intensifying the Summitt-Auriemma rivalry. During this season, Summitt achieved her 700th win, an 85-62 victory at Wisconsin.

At the 2000 ESPY awards, the Lady Vols basketball team was named co-team of the decade alongside the Florida State Seminoles football team. Additionally, Summitt was named the Naismith Coach of the Century, and Chamique Holdsclaw received recognition as the Naismith Women's Collegiate Player of the Century.

4.4. 2000s: Record-breaking achievements

In the 2000-01 season, the Lady Vols claimed another SEC title, winning all 14 conference games. They split the season series with the UConn Huskies and entered the SEC tournament with a 28-1 record. However, they were upset by Vanderbilt in the semifinals and then lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Xavier, their worst finish since the 1993-94 season. During the regular season, Summitt earned her 750th win in the second game against UConn, a 92-88 victory. The team also completed its fourth consecutive 30-win season.

The 2001-02 season saw the Lady Vols win their fifth straight SEC championship, but they again fell in the conference tournament, this time to LSU. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee reached the Final Four again with a 5-point win over Vanderbilt University. This marked Summitt's 13th Final Four appearance, surpassing John Wooden's record of 12, and earned her 788th win, tying her with Jody Conradt for the most wins in women's basketball history. However, the Lady Vols lost in the national semifinals to Connecticut, who went on to complete an undefeated season. This loss ended Tennessee's season at 29-5, one win shy of extending Summitt's streak of 30-win seasons. Summitt achieved several other milestones that season: a 106-66 win over USC marked her 200th home win, a victory against Louisiana Tech was her 300th win against a ranked opponent, and her 93-65 win over Arkansas was her 1,000th game as a coach, including international contests.

During the 2002-03 season, the Lady Vols achieved their sixth perfect SEC season and defeated powerhouses like Duke and Louisiana Tech. However, they lost to Texas and UConn. In the NCAA tournament, the Lady Vols reached the title game only to lose to the Huskies again, 73-68. During the season, Summitt earned her 800th win, a 76-57 victory over DePaul, becoming the fastest coach to reach this milestone.

The 2003-04 season was similar: the Lady Vols defeated most regular season opponents, including Duke and Louisiana Tech, but lost to UConn and Texas. They again went 14-0 in SEC regular season play but fell in the conference tournament. Tennessee won five games in the NCAA tournament but lost 70-61 to Connecticut in the championship game for the second year in a row and third time in five years.

In 2004-05, Tennessee broke its losing streak against Connecticut with a narrow 68-67 regular season victory. Candace Parker, a highly acclaimed high school player, joined the Lady Vols but was redshirted due to injuries and did not play that season. Tennessee suffered regular season losses to Duke, Rutgers, and LSU. LSU's win over Tennessee clinched the SEC title for them, ending Tennessee's streak of seven consecutive regular season conference championships. However, Tennessee won its first SEC tournament title in four years by avenging their earlier loss to LSU with a 67-65 win in the championship game. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee advanced to its fourth consecutive Final Four by defeating Rutgers, a team that had beaten them earlier in the year. In the Final Four, the Lady Vols squandered a 16-point lead, falling 68-64 to underdog Michigan State. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Lady Vols defeated Purdue, giving Pat Summitt her 880th win and breaking North Carolina coach Dean Smith's record of 879 wins, making her the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history.

By the 2005-06 season, Candace Parker had recovered from her injuries and became a starter. The Lady Vols dropped three SEC games to LSU, Florida, and Kentucky, recording their worst SEC season since 1996-97. However, they secured their second straight win against Connecticut and rebounded from a sub-par SEC season to win the conference tournament for the second consecutive year. In the NCAA tournament, Tennessee received a number two seed, and played North Carolina in the regional finals. Tennessee trailed throughout the game, fell behind by as many as 16 points, rallied to cut the lead to 5 points, but ultimately lost 75-63.

In the 2006-07 season, Tennessee defeated four ranked teams consecutively: UCLA, Stanford, Arizona State, and Middle Tennessee. They lost a regular season rematch with North Carolina and another game against top-ranked Duke, but defeated UConn for the third time in a row. Later, in Baton Rouge, the Lady Vols clinched the SEC title against LSU in a game where Candace Parker scored 27 points. However, Tennessee fell to the Tigers in the SEC tournament semifinals. In the NCAA tournament, Summitt's team easily reached the Final Four, dispatching opponents like SEC foe Mississippi and Cinderella story Marist, winning each game by at least 14 points. In the Final Four, Tennessee again faced North Carolina. Despite shooting poorly, the Lady Vols came back from a 12-point deficit with 8:18 remaining to win 56-50. In the championship game against Rutgers, Tennessee won its seventh national title. During the season, Summitt famously appeared at a men's basketball game dressed in a cheerleader outfit and led the crowd in a rendition of "Rocky Top" to show her support, mirroring men's coach Bruce Pearl's earlier appearance in orange body paint at a Lady Vols game.

The 2007-08 season began with the top-ranked Lady Vols going 3-0, including wins over 9th-ranked Oklahoma and 22nd-ranked Texas. The win over Texas was Summitt's 950th career victory. After two more wins, top-ranked Tennessee defeated fourth-ranked North Carolina 83-79 in a rematch of the previous year's Final Four. Tennessee won their next four games before losing 73-69 in overtime to 5th-ranked Stanford in California, after rallying from a 4-point deficit with less than 30 seconds remaining. The Lady Vols responded by winning their next seven games, reaching a 17-1 record before a match-up with Duke. Candace Parker's 17 points and 12 rebounds, including a crucial basket with 22 seconds left, helped the Lady Vols defeat the Blue Devils for the first time in four years, 67-64. Tennessee won the remainder of their regular season games and defeated LSU for the SEC tournament championship. The Lady Vols then won four consecutive NCAA Tournament games, leading to their third matchup of the year against the LSU Lady Tigers in the Final Four. Alexis Hornbuckle tipped in a missed layup by Nicky Anosike with 0.7 seconds left to secure a 47-46 victory. On April 8, 2008, Tennessee won its second consecutive national championship and eighth overall by beating Stanford 64-48.

Summitt's first milestone of the 2008-09 season was a 73-43 win over the Georgia Lady Bulldogs on February 5, 2009, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. This win marked Coach Summitt's 1,000th career victory. In her honor, the Thompson-Boling Arena's court was named "The Summitt". The 2008-09 season ended with a notable first: the Lady Vols lost 71-55 in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Ball State in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This was the first time Tennessee had not appeared in the Sweet Sixteen since the NCAA first sanctioned championships in women's basketball for the 1981-82 season.

4.5. 2010s: Health challenges and transition

In August 2011, Pat Summitt publicly announced that she had been diagnosed three months prior with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Despite this diagnosis, she bravely completed the 2011-2012 season in a reduced role, with Holly Warlick, who had been an assistant under Summitt since 1985, taking on most of the coaching responsibilities. In an interview with GoVolsXtra.com, Summitt famously declared, "There's not going to be any pity party and I'll make sure of that." In December 2011, Summitt was honored as the Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year.

As the 2011-12 season progressed, it became increasingly apparent to the team and fans that it would likely be Summitt's final year coaching. Ann Killion of Sports Illustrated described it as "heart-wrenching to witness" when Warlick became tearful at the end of the regular season. Media figures, including John Adams of the Knoxville News Sentinel and David Climer of The Tennessean, suggested that it was time for Summitt to retire.

On April 18, 2012, after the Lady Vols lost to the undefeated eventual champion Baylor Lady Bears in the Elite Eight in Des Moines, Summitt officially stepped down as head coach, concluding her 38-year coaching career at the age of 59. Holly Warlick was appointed as her successor. In a statement regarding her resignation, Summitt expressed her confidence in Warlick, stating, "I feel like Holly's been doing the bulk of it. She deserves to be the head coach..." Summitt was given the title Head Coach Emeritus upon her resignation. Under NCAA regulations, this title allowed her to attend practices and assist Warlick in certain duties, though she was not permitted to sit on the team bench during games.

Summitt was presented with the USBWA Most Courageous Award at the 2012 Final Four, an award that would later be given in her name to other deserving individuals. She also received the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2012 ESPY Awards, where she delivered a powerful acceptance speech, declaring, "It is time to fight."

5.1. Olympic Games

Summitt achieved Olympic gold as a coach. She was named the head coach for the U.S. women's Olympic team for the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Leading a strong team, Summitt guided the U.S. women's basketball team to a gold medal, becoming the first U.S. Olympian to win a basketball medal as a player (1976 silver) and then coach a medal-winning team (1984 gold).

5.2. Other international competitions

Summitt's international coaching experience also included the William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan. She was named head coach for the U.S. representative team in 1979. Having recently completed the World Championship, the U.S. team bypassed preliminary rounds. They won all six of their contests, securing the gold medal, with four U.S. players named to the 12-player all-tournament team.

She returned as head coach for the William Jones Cup in 1984, leading the team that was essentially the prospective national team for the 1984 Olympic Games. This strong squad dominated the competition, winning all eight games and the gold medal. In their opening game, the U.S. team defeated Australia 82-20, and their closest match was a 23-point victory over Italy. Three of her players were named to the All-Tournament Team. Summitt also coached the U.S. women's national basketball team to a silver medal at the 1983 FIBA World Championship for Women in Sao Paulo, and a gold medal at the 1979 FIBA World Championship for Women in Seoul. She also coached the 1979 Pan American Games team to a silver medal in San Juan.

8.1. Family

Pat Summitt married Ross Barnes Summitt II in 1980. The couple had one son, Ross Tyler Summitt, born in 1990. In 2007, Summitt filed for divorce from her husband.

Her son, Tyler Summitt, followed in his mother's footsteps in basketball. He played as a walk-on for the Tennessee men's basketball team and graduated from the University of Tennessee in May 2012. Coincidentally, on the very day his mother announced her retirement, Tyler was hired as an assistant coach for the Marquette University women's team, effective for the 2012-13 season. This timing was noted by ESPN.com columnist Gene Wojciechowski as a "bittersweet irony." After his time at Marquette, Tyler Summitt went on to become a head coach for Louisiana Tech.