Everything about Pat Summitt exemplifies the word "class." For 38 years, she was the face of women's basketball. As much as the late Joe Paterno WAS Penn State to many people, Pat Summitt IS the University of Tennessee in much the same way. But she was more than that. In a lot of ways Pat Summitt IS women's basketball.
Her 1,098 wins (the most in NCAA history, men or women) will never be matched. Her NCAA Tournament records are just as staggering. Tennessee has never missed the Tournament, which began in 1982. In fact, the Lady Vols have never received lower than a 5-seed, and they've only failed to reach the Sweet Sixteen once in those 31 NCAA Tournament appearances. Summitt's teams won eight National Championships and made the Final Four 18 times. This year's seniors were the first in Tennessee history to go their entire careers without playing in at least one Final Four. Summitt also won Olympic medals as both a player (1976, silver) and a coach (1984, gold). Tennesse even asked her (twice!) if she'd consider coaching the men's team.
But her career is about so much more than victories and records. Never has that been more clear than in her final season. We were all shocked when Summitt announced in August that she was suffering from early-onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. But nobody was surprised with the grace she displayed while dealing with her disease. She came forward right away, not in an attempt to gain sympathy, but as a means of raising awareness. Pat Summitt quickly became an advocate. More importantly, she wanted to show people that you can still go about your life even with dementia.
The University of Tennessee did the right thing in letting her go out on her own terms. Pat Summitt deserved that. When she said that she wanted to continue coaching in 2011-12, it was with the University's blessing. Sure she had a reduced role (by her own choice), but she was still Pat Summitt. That was clear from the first moment you saw that trademark icy stare directed from the end of the Tennessee bench towards one of the officials.
The season certainly felt like a farewell tour. But it wouldn't have been fair to anybody, least of all Pat Summitt, if she didn't get that chance to say goodbye. Or if the women's basketball community didn't get a chance to say goodbye to her. After Tennessee lost to Baylor in the Elite Eight, you had the feeling it was her last game. The embrace between Summitt and Baylor coach Kim Mulkey (and the reverence with which Mulkey talked about Summitt in the postgame press conference) was much more than one between and mentor and pupil. It was as if Mulkey was telling Summitt "Thank You" on behalf of all of us.
As it turns out, what we all suspected was in fact the case. The 2011-12 season was Pat Summitt's last. She retired on Wednesday, handing the reins to longtime assistant Holly Warlick (who did much of the day-to-day coaching during the season). Summitt will remain in the role of "head coach emeritus," meaning she'll still be around the program, albeit in an advisory/consulting role. Tennessee knew that it was important to keep her involved in the program in some way.
Through it all, the grace and class that Pat Summitt displayed throughout her career was just as prominent in her departure. The University of Tennessee did right by Pat Summitt. They didn't dictate any of the terms of her retirement. And they left the timing up to her. For all she's meant to the university, they owed her that much. She wasn't forced out, which is unfortunately how too many college coaching careers end. Sadly, Pat Summitt was forced out by something much crueler--her health.
Alzheimer's disease slowly takes away your mind. It's a terrible disease for which there's no cure. That means Pat Summitt is eventually going to forget her amazing career and how much she's meant to the sport of women's basketball. Fortunately, the rest of us won't. We never will.
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