by Sam McGaw, Franklin Home Page
Former longtime Tennessee Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt passed away Tuesday at the age of 64 after a battle with Alzheimer’s.
In her 38 years as head coach, Summitt led the Lady Vols to eight national titles, 18 Final Four appearances and a Division I college basketball record of 1,098 wins.
Current and former area coaches reflected on Summitt’s impact on and off the court.
Former Franklin girls basketball player and assistant coach Bennett Yarbrough spent two seasons as a student manager for the Lady Vols basketball team.
“She was like three different people. On the court- she was the fierce competitor that the world knew her as. Every day. No matter what.
In the office, she was the CEO. Serious and focused, but always approachable.
Then she was a mom. During my time there, we would go to her house for team functions and the managers would cook. And so would Pat. She’d come into the kitchen and help cut potatoes or show us a nifty trick that her mom had taught her growing up on the farm in Ashland City, Tennessee. She would laugh and joke with us without ever mentioning basketball.
The number of people she impacted is incredible. And the way she treated us all was even more amazing. The tag line that is going around the obituary is “You win in life with people” – and that was something she lived by. You mix that “people building/relationship” mentality with a passion and hunger to compete and win – you’ve got Pat.
It didn’t matter if you were her all-American senior player, her office assistant, the man who swept Thompson Boling Arena, or the manager who made sure she had her cough drops and orange stool for every game – She knew who you were, she greeted you by name, and she expected your very best. Always.”
Franklin girls basketball coach Darrell Barnwell:
“I don’t recall the year, but it was right after her first book came out and she was doing book-signing events across the state. I was just beginning my career as a basketball coach at the time, and I was obviously a fan of Pat and the Lady Vols so I took my young daughter to Books A Million in Johnson City, Tennessee, to meet her and get her autograph.
I believe the commitment she made was from 6-10 that evening. My daughter and I arrived around 5 p.m., and by that time we were way down the line in terms of the number of people that showed up. Eventually around 9 or 9:30, my daughter and I were able to meet Pat and get her to sign a magazine cover and one of her books.
The interesting part about the story is that there were still a lot of people that had yet to see Pat, but were still waiting. Even though her commitment was only until 10, she stayed until after midnight so that everyone that came to meet her and get an autograph would be able to do so.
She always spoke about relationships with people and how important that was, and she showed that in her actions that night. I have always remembered that night and throughout my years of coaching I have tried to remember the importance of relationships, not just with my players, but with everyone you come across in your life, whether they are a part of your program or just someone you meet on the street.”
Brentwood High athletic director/girls basketball coach Ronnie Seigenthaler:
“She was a great influence because she stressed fundamentals and discipline. Her example to do it the right way helped mold my coaching philosophy.”
CPA boys basketball coach Drew Maddux shared his thoughts about Pat Summitt with WNSR’s Bill King Tuesday morning:
“Obviously, we’ll honor her for her accomplishments on the court and what she did with those wonderful Lady Vol teams, but she was so much bigger than that. She was so much more than a coach in the lives of those young ladies. She really showed them what it meant to be a successful human being and to be successful at anything they were called to do.
“I had the fortune and pleasure of meeting her several times, but it was the personal way she conducted her job. She knew every single young lady. It wasn’t about the 1,098 wins, it was the interpersonal relationships she had with each of those young ladies that she coached and the coaches on her staff.
It truly was a motivating and inspiring factor in terms of me wanting to go on and be a coach.”
Click here for Maddux’s full interview with Bill King.
U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn:
“Pat Summitt was a leader and role model for young women. I appreciated so much the fact that Pat continued to be supportive of young women, of exercising leadership and of developing their skills. She knew how young women could take those skills from the basketball court and apply them to their life and careers afterwards. She will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones.”
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