By Margaret Kispert
Known for her piercing stare and her fiery halftime talks, Pat Summitt died Tuesday at the age of 64 from Alzheimer’s disease. Iowa women’s basketball head coach Lisa Bluder released a statement about the loss of the basketball legend, saying she had a “heavy heart” hearing the news.
Bluder’s full statement read: “I have a heavy heart this morning, hearing about the loss of one of the greatest women’s basketball coaching legends ever. When I began coaching in the 1980s, I listened to Pat at my first clinic, and I KNEW that I wanted to be a coach. She inspired me and gave us all an example of what it takes to chase excellence. Thanks Pat for showing us the way.”
Summitt was a true Tennessean from beginning to end. She was born and raised in the state, played basketball at Tennessee-Martin, and spent her entire coaching career at the University of Tennessee — a career that spanned almost four decades. In those 38 years, she led the Lady Vols to eight national titles and 31-consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament, and she has the most wins by any Division 1 basketball coach — male or female — with 1,098 victories.
On top of those stats, every one of her players who completed her eligibility at Tennessee under Summitt played in at least one Elite Eight game, and all graduated from the university.
Summitt is remembered not only for her coaching stats; she is credited with changing women’s basketball and pushing it into the spotlight. She’s considered one of the toughest coaches in basketball history, men or women. Always reminding her players, “You can’t always be the strongest or most talented or most gifted person in the room, but you can be the most competitive.” She credits that competitiveness for getting her off the farm and into the career she had.
Unfortunately for Summitt, she had to retire in 2012 from coaching, something no one was ready for, because of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011. After her retirement, she was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for being a role model for millions and the legacy she left behind. In the same year, she was also awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPN’s ESPY Awards by NFL quarterback and fellow Tennessee alumni Peyton Manning.
Summitt is survived by ex-husband R.B. Summitt and their son, Rose Tyler Summitt.