KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in Division I college basketball history who helped boost the women’s game to the big time in a 38-year career at Tennessee, has died at 64.
(Source: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
With an icy glare on the sidelines, Summitt led the Lady Vols to eight national championships and prominence on a campus steeped in the traditions of the football-rich south until she retired in 2012.
Her son, Tyler Summitt, issued a statement Tuesday morning saying his mother died peacefully at Sherrill Hill Senior Living in Knoxville surrounded by those who loved her most.
Tyler’s statement said “since 2011, my mother has battled her toughest opponent, early onset dementia, ‘Alzheimer’s Type’ … and we can all find peace in knowing she no longer carries the heavy burden of this disease.”
Statement from Texas A&M Women’s Basketball Coach Gary Blair
“I can’t even imagine where our game would be without Pat Summitt. Her legacy will be the impact that she has had on us all. It extends beyond her Lady Vol family, and includes any of us who have competed on every level. I’m honored to have competed against her, and proud to have called her my friend.
Not only was Pat an outstanding basketball coach, but she was also a special person. She had an aura and a presence that made everyone in the room feel important, whether you were a manager, a junior high coach or a college coach. No one has done more to grow the game of women’s basketball, both on and off the court; when it comes to marketing, intensity, recruiting or giving back to the game, she was unmatched. My condolences go out to her family and the many other people whose lives she impacted.”
