I have been a basketball fan most of my life. My Brother was a coach, I have known a few and watched many more. John Wooden was one of the greats. I am not sure when I started watching Ladies Basketball, I remember many years ago listening to some far away radio stations from Iowa and other states, who were broadcasting Ladies ball because of greater interest in it in those states. Then I saw Pat, and learned her story, saw her team play and win, she is a remarkable coach and woman and Mother. She no longer "actively" coaches .... due to Alzheimer's.
Patricia Sue "Pat" Summitt (born June 14, 1952) is a former women's college basketball head coach. She now serves as the head coach emeritus of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She holds the most all-time wins for a coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division. She coached from 1974 to 2012, all with the Lady Vols, winning eight NCAA national championships, second only to the record 10 titles won by UCLA men's coach John Wooden. She is the only coach in NCAA history, and one of three college coaches overall, with at least 1,000 victories.
Summitt was named the Naismith Basketball Coach of the Century in April 2000. In 2009, the Sporting News placed her number 11 on its list of the 50 Greatest Coaches of All Time in all sports; she was the only woman on the list. In 38 years as a coach, she never had a losing season. On April 20, 2012, the White House announced that Pat Summitt would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Summitt received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2012 ESPY Awards.
Summitt has written three books, all with co-author Sally Jenkins: Reach for the Summitt, which is part a motivational book and part biography, Raise the Roof about the Lady Vols' 1997–1998 undefeated and NCAA-championship winning season, and Sum It Up, covering her life including her experience being diagnosed and living with Alzheimer's disease.
