Pat Summitt, legendary college basketball coach, dies at 64

[joeybee12]

Pat Summitt, legendary former basketball coach at the University of Tennessee, died Tuesday morning of complications from Alzheimer's disease. Summitt, the winningest coach in NCAA Division I basketball history, was 64.

Summitt was diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type in 2011, and stepped down from her role as head coach at the University of Tennessee a year later. From 1974 to 2012, Summitt led the Lady Vols to a 1,098-208 record with eight national titles.

Her remarkable career began when she took the head coaching reins at Tennessee at just 22 years old. Two years later, as a player she was named an assistant captain for the U.S. Olympic women's basketball team, and in 1984 took over head coaching duties. Under her guidance, the American women went undefeated and won their first-ever gold medal.

Three years later, Summitt's Lady Vols won the first of their eight national championships. Tennessee also won 16 SEC regular season championships and 16 SEC tournament championships under Summitt, the most recent coming in her final season. Summitt was an eight-time SEC Coach of the Year and a seven-time NCAA Coach of the Year, two of the many awards lavished on her throughout her 38-year career. She was also honored with the Naismith Award for Coach of the 20th Century and the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award a civilian can win in the United States.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger/pat-summitt-144038730.html

[shenmue]

1. Rest in peace

[bigwillq]

2. RIP

She was a pioneer, a legend and the true definition of class.

[KamaAina]

3. Fun Pat fact: She was once offered the men's hoops head coaching job at Tennessee

years ago, when the Vols were down in the dumps.

Her response: "I do not consider that a promotion."

UConn all the way here, obviously , but without Pat, there is no women's hoops as we know it.

[RockaFowler]

4. Way too young

I really hate this disease

My Mother In Law has had it for 8 years now. She is a shell of her former self.

Rest in Peace Coach Summitt. You were an awesome leader among women. And an awesome example for women around the world.

[DinahMoeHum]

5. Head coach of the 1984 USA women's team. . .

. . .being hoisted aloft by her team, led by star player Cheryl Miller in the foreground, celebrating their gold medal.



She also played on the 1976 Olympic team alongside HOFer Nancy Lieberman when women's basketball made its debut (she was Pat Head at the time). That team won the silver medal.

Rest in Peace, Coach, and thanks for the memories.

[KamaAina]

6. Omaha Steve put me on to The Alzheimer's Site

part of Greater Good: The Hunger Site, The Animal Rescue Site, etc.

http://thehungersite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/alz/home

It'd be nice if it played a few bars of Rocky Top when you clicked.