The all-time winningest coach in Division I history, Pat Summitt, has passed away at the age of 64 years old.
In her storied career, she led the Lady Vols to eight NCAA National Championships, 16 SEC Tournaments, 16 SEC regular-season championships, and a record 31 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. She also won 1,098 games which is the most for any coach at the Division I level—women’s or men’s.
Summitt also coached the 1984 U.S. Women’s National Team to a gold medal in Los Angeles.
She was a pioneer for women’s sports both on and off the court. Summitt put in a lot of time raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease through the Pat Summitt Foundation.
In 2011, Sports Illustrated named her as its Sportswoman of the Year and was honored with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2012 ESPYs. That same year, President Barack Obama awarded Summitt with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
This is a tremendous loss for not only the basketball community but also the sports community as a whole. Upcoming coaches who want to be in the women’s ranks look up to Pat Summitt as inspiration to them. She was a transcendent figure by making her mark as a women’s basketball coach at a time where sports culture did not always give women the respect they deserve in terms of their athletic abilities.
Pat Summitt broke down a lot of barriers and paved the way for many current women’s basketball coaches as well as players. She is also, unarguably, the most important figure in the history of Tennessee Athletics. That is saying something that a woman holds that stature.
While Pat Summitt may have departed us, her work on and off the court as a coach, a philanthropist, and an ambassador for women’s sports (and sports in general) will never be forgotten.
No one feels strong when she examines her own weakness. But in facing weakness, you learn how much there is in you, and you find real strength.
–Pat Summitt
