Pat Summitt Biography

At the end of the 2003-04' women's college basketball season Pat Summitt had completed her 30th year as the head coach of the University of Tennessee's women's college basketball program.

What an incredible career she's had, what an impact on the University of Tennessee she has had and perhaps most importantly the opportunity her players have had to be associated with her will pay dividends for them and her the rest of their lives.

Pat Summitt has coached and won more basketball games than anyone in the history of women's college basketball. In fact she has won more basketball games than any other coach in NCAA history, mens or womens. She vaulted past legendary coach Adolph Rupp of Kentucky early in the 2003-04' season and wound up passing then number one Dean Smith of North Carolina for the top spot late this same season.

Obviously Summitt is in an elite group of coaches, joining the "800" club with only eight members. The entry requirement to the club is very stringent. You must have won 800 games as a college basketball coach to qualify. She recorded her 800th career win partway thru her 29th season at Tennessee.

She is the very first woman ever in all of NCAA Division I basketball to qualify for membership in this most elite club and currently enjoys her member status with only two other active coaches, Jody Conradt of Texas and Bob Knight of Texas Tech. Not only is Summitt number one by virtue of her total wins but her winning percentage is also the best of this historic group.

When Tennessee placed its trust, and basketball fortunes, in the hands of Pat Head a bright, young, aggressive, inexperienced 22 year old in September of 1974 no one could envision the success Head (Summitt) and the Lady Vols. would enjoy over the next 30 seasons.

Summitt recently recalled her thinking at the time, "The only thing I had in my mind was to complete my master's, because I was here as a graduate assistant taking four classes and teaching four classes. I wanted to survive a year, do a good job coaching, meet my academic requirements, and also train for the Olympic trials. My thoughts were very divided at that time, but I wasn't thinking that 'I'm going to build a national powerhouse at Tennessee.' I thought, 'I have a one-year appointment to do a lot of things for myself and for the program."

Although the Lady Vols lost the first game they ever played with Head (Summitt) as their coach the 1974-75 season, with an overall 16-8 record, proved to be an excellent start for the University of Tennessee and Pat Head's (Summitt) march into the NCAA history books. For the first and only time in her long and heralded career a Pat Head coached team did not go to a regional tournament. It has never happened again.

By the end of her third season the Lady Vols were in their first Final Four with a 28-5 overall record. They came within a few points of upsetting the defending national champions. The rest as they say is history.

In the ensuing 30 years Pat (Head) Summitt has elevated the University of Tennessee women's basketball program from a no scholarship, truly "volunteer" operation with only a few hardcore fans and no national recognition to the unparalleled national success it enjoys today.

The Lady Vols in the 2003-04' season produced the kind of success Tennessee fans have grown used to enjoying from their women's basketball team. All Summitt's team did was go 27-3 (.900) winning percentage during the regular season, 14-0 in SEC conference play winning the regular season conference championship. From there it was on to the NCAA Tournament where the Lady Vols blasted their way through the competition to the championship game which they dropped to UCON in a thriller.

A 32-4 (.888) winning percentage overall record at the end of the 2003-04' season vaulted Summitt into first place on the NCAA All Time wins list and improved upon an incredible statistic which shows her teams with an average of 28 wins and five losses per season.

Then, of course there was the magical 1997-98 season. The fairy tale come true season, the rarely achieved in any sport "perfect season". Summitt's 24th Lady Vols team won everything. They were 39-0 and won an unprecedented third consecutive women's NCAA Championship basketball crown and Summitt's sixth NCAA Championship team and third consecutive national championship.

At the time the Lady Vols 39-0 perfect season mark put them in the NCAA history book with the best single season record in men's or women's basketball history. The mark was tied by the UCONN Huskies in the 2001-02 season with a duplicate 39-0 record.

A recent poll which correlated a coaches age and their victory plateau found Summitt to be the youngest coach in the country to reach 300 wins Through 800 wins in 100 win increments.

Summitt, whose career is full of significant achievements, passed another milestone during the 2003-04' season when she coached in her 1000th career game. Following the conclusion of the season her NCAA Tournament record now stands at 89-17 (.840) winning percentage. Putting this in its proper perspective relative to all men and women's college basketball history only the legendary John Wooden of UCLA has won more NCAA titles.

Additionally, Summitt is the only women's collegiate basketball coach to ever record three consecutive women's NCAA basketball championship titles. Summitt has forged past Wooden to hold the NCAA record for "Final Four" appearances when she logged her 13th following the 2001-02' season. She now has a total of 15 "Final Four" appearances having gone to the "Final Four" following both the 2002-03' and 2003-04' season.

John Wooden's UCLA teams appeared in a total of 57 NCAA tournament games, winning 47 of them. Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers played in a total of 60 NCAA tournament games, winning 41 times. Until recently this put Wooden and Knight in first and second place respectively for most NCAA Tournament wins. Then along came Pat Summitt who now holds the number one slot winning 85 out of 97 NCAA Tournament contests. Once again pretty heady company for our intrepid coach.

Summitt in her tenure at Tennessee has won six NCAA titles, 12 SEC regular season championships and 10 SEC postseason tournaments. She has coached 11 Lady Vols who played in the Olympics, 17 Kodak All-Americans and 56 players who won All-SEC honors.

In addition she has coached the Naismith Player Of The Century (1900s) as well as three consecutive Naismith Player Of The Year winners (1998-2000). Summitt has had 30 Academic All-SEC players reinforcing her commitment to excellence off the court as well as on it. And perhaps the most astounding stat of all, demonstrating an incredible unparalleled consistency, the University of Tennessee Lady Vols have had 20 or more wins for 29 consecutive seasons.

Summit herself has won a dump truck full of awards over the past 30 seasons. Space does not allow listing all of them but some of her awards include; being named Naismith Coach Of The Century (1900s), NCAA Coach Of The Year six times, SEC Coach Of The Year five times, ESPN selected Summitt's program as the "Team of the Decade" for the 1990s, the first female coach ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, four time winner of the coveted Naismith College Coach of the Year, twice the WBCA/Converse Coach of the Year and the IKON/WBCA coach of the Year in 1998. She was honored by Working Mother magazine in early 1997 which recognized the "25 Most Influential Working Mothers".

Summitt was the first female to ever receive the most prestigious award handed out by the Basketball Hall of Fame when in 1990 the Hall presented her with the John Bunn Award.

The Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame ushered Summitt into its hallowed halls in 1990. Three times in the decade of the 1990's she has been named Coach of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio. In 1996 she was inducted into the National Association for Sport and Physical Education Hall of Fame and is a three time winner of the Victor Award which benefits the City of Hope, as the Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.

Then came the day everyone knew was coming but didn't know when. On October 13, 2000 Pat (Head)Summitt was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Summitt was only the fourth women's basketball coach ever to earn this honor. The class of 2000 inducted that bright chilly day in October included former NBA standouts Isiah Thomas and Bob McAdoo and the legendary Morgan Wootten of DeMatha High School.

The previous year as part of the 1999 inaugural class she had been inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. There are many more awards she has won over the years which space limitations preclude being added.

One of the many hallmarks of Summitt's program has been, and is the importance she places on academics. The graduation rate of her players is of paramount importance to her and is exemplified by the success her players have earned academically. Every Lady Vol who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee has gotten their degree or is completing their degree requirements.

Again, due to space considerations Summitt's playing experience and her International coaching experience have been left out of this short biography. Suffice it to say she played in the Olympics 76' in Montreal winning the silver medal and was head coach of the 84' USA Olympic team winning the gold in Los Angeles. Her coaching record in International competition is an astounding 63-4 (.955) winning percentage.

Summitt received her B.S. in Physical Education from the University of Tennessee-Martin in 1974 and her Masters in Physical Education from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1975.

Pat and her husband R.B. Summitt live in Knoxville with their son, Ross Tyler, age 13.

Some of her accomplishments are:

30 years as head coach of the University of Tennessee's women's basketball program
Won more basketball games than anyone in the history of women's college basketball
Won more basketball games than any other coach in NCAA history, mens or womens
Recorded her 800th career win partway thru her 29th season at Tennessee
First woman ever in NCAA Division I basketball to qualify for "800" club
Teams average 28 wins and five losses per season
Youngest coach in the country to reach 300 wins through 800 wins in 100 win increments
Went 39-0 "perfect season" 1997-98'
Won unprecedented third consecutive women's NCAA Championship basketball crown 1997-98'
Sixth NCAA Championship team 1997-98'
Perfect season best in NCAA men's or women's basketball history - Tied by UCON 2001-02'
Coached in her 1000th career game - 2003-04'
NCAA Tournament record stands at 89-17 (.840) winning percentage following 2003-04'
Only the legendary John Wooden of UCLA has won more NCAA titles
Holds NCAA record for "Final Four" appearances with 15 following 2003-04' season
First place having Won 85 out of 97 NCAA Tournament contests
Won 12 SEC regular season championships
Winners of 10 SEC postseason tournaments
Coached 11 Lady Vols who played in the Olympics
Coached 17 Kodak All-Americans
Coaches 56 players who won All-SEC honors
Coached the NAISMITH PLAYER OF THE CENTURY (1900s)
Coached three consecutive NAISMITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR winners (1998-2000
Has had 30 ACADEMIC ALL-SEC players
20 or more wins for 29 consecutive seasons
Named NAISMITH COACH OF THE CENTURY (1900s)
NCAA COACH OF THE YEAR six times
SEC COACH OF THE YEAR five times
ESPN selected Summitt's program as "Team of the Decade" for 1990s
First female coach ever to appear on cover of Sports Illustrated
Four time winner of the coveted Naismith College Coach of the Year
Twice WBCA/Converse Coach of the Year
IKON/WBCA coach of the Year - 1998
Honored by Working Mother magazine - "25 Most Influential Working Mothers" - 1997
First female ever receive prestigious John Bunn Award - Basketball Hall of Fame - 1990
Inducted into Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame - 1990
Three times in 1990's named Coach of the Year by Touchdown Club of Columbus, Ohio
Inducted into the National Association for Sport and Physical Education Hall of Fame - 1996
Three time winner of the Victor Award - Women's Basketball Coach of the Year
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame - October 13, 2000
Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame - 1999
Every player who's completed eligibility at UT has or will have their degree
Coached 84' USA Olympic Women's Basketball Team - Won Gold
Coaching record in International competition is an astounding 63-4 (.955) winning percentage
Received B.S. in Physical Education from the University of Tennessee-Martin - 1974
Received Masters in Physical Education from University of Tennessee-Knoxville - 1975