Pat Summitt: A Tribute

The famed coach of the Tennessee Volunteers Women’s basketball program stepped down recently due to a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Her name lends itself to hundreds of sport-related puns, but none could give her the respect that she deserves as possibly the greatest basketball coach of all time.

John Wooden, Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight, Geno Auriemma. These are the names of some of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. Coach Summitt belongs near or at the top of that list. She has the most victories in NCAA history. She has the most Final Four appearances. She has eight national championships. But the most amazing legacy she may leave behind is a 100% graduation rate. In this day and age, that is probably the most astonishing fact of Summitt’s career.

The men’s game obviously has a potential for leading to the NBA, while the WNBA is less popular and very low paying relative to its male counterpart. So, one may argue that academics are much more “important” for women athletes than men. I will concede that the monetary pressure is greater for male athletes, which means that there is more potential for violations and less pressure to perform academically (which we see way too much). However, men’s sports can take a hint or two from Coach Summitt’s stress for academic excellence. She has shown that academics do not have to take a hit to achieve athletic dominance.

That Summitt has been forced to step down due to early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease is more than unfortunate. Having seen the effects of Alzheimer’s first-hand, this disease is a struggle not only for the afflicted, but their families and friends as well. It is good to see that Summitt will stay on in some capacity and make the transition for players and coaches as smooth as possible.

In almost every society in the world, women are still de-valued and in the sports world, this is still very true. It is time to realize that Pat Summitt is not just the best women’s basketball coach of all time, but possibly the best college coach to every grace the hardwood. So please, stand and applaud.