Paying Respects To Pat Summitt: An American Coaching Icon
By Jon Rapoport
Tuesday, legendary Tennessee Volunteers women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt passed away at the age of 64 from Alzheimer’s disease, five years after being diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Summitt’s illness forced her to retire from coaching in 2012.
During her 38 seasons leading the Lady Vols, Summitt won 8 national titles, 16 SEC championships and appeared in the Final Four on 22 occasions. All told, the native of Clarksville, Tennessee amassed a record of 1,098-208. Those 1,098 wins are the most in the history of college basketball, for both the women’s and men’s game.
In 2012, President Obama awarded Summitt the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given in the United States.
