Pat Summitt, American basketball coach, Died at 64

  Sports

Patricia Sue Summitt (née Head), was born on June 14, 1952, and died on June 28, 2016.

She was an American college basketball head coach.

Pat achieved the most wins in NCAA basketball history.

Summitt served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012, winning eight NCAA championships (an NCAA women’s record when she retired), and surpassed only by the 10 titles won by UCLA men’s coach John Wooden and the 11 titles won by UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma.

Pat Summitt was the first NCAA coach, and one of four college coaches overall, to achieve at least 1,000 wins (she achieved 1,098).

She also won an Olympic Gold medal as head coach of the 1984 U.S. women’s basketball team, and was named the Naismith Basketball Coach of the Century in April 2000.

During 2009, the Sporting News placed her at number 11 on its list of the 50 Greatest Coaches of All Time in all sports; she was the only woman on the list.

For 38 years as a coach, she never had a losing season.

She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, in 2012.

Summitt received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2012 ESPY Awards.

She had 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.

Pat Summitt passed away at 64 yrs old, due to dementia.