Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt
Patricia Sue "Pat" Summittwas an American college basketball head coach whose 1,098 career wins are the most in NCAA basketball history. She served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012, before retiring at age 59 because of a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. She won eight NCAA championships, a number surpassed only by the 10 titles won by UCLA men's coach John Wooden and the 11 titles won by UConn...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth14 June 1952
CityClarksville, TN
CountryUnited States of America
In my opinion, and I have said this many times, she (Parker) is the best freshman in the nation. There is no other freshman who can do all the things she does. I know there are some great shooters, but no one does what she does.
I didn't feel calm out there. When I looked at the schedule, I thought 'What have I done?
I didn't hesitate to put her in. I just thought we were slow, we needed to be in the attack mode and she put us in it right away.
I'd rather not think about that right now. I've about had enough of North Carolina.
I want to keep coaching as long as I can. I love teaching and working with student athletes and I love being at the University of Tennessee.
There is not that many players that really can take over games, signed Candace Parker, I really felt like at that time that a National Championship was certainly in reach.
I think the most important thing I thought is, I thought about recruiting and what we need in recruiting.
Actually, when I saw it in USA Today, I just, Candace Parker was, we were warming up in practice and she was underneath the basket shooting and I just said, 'Hey Candace! I enjoyed what I read in the paper today about your decision [to stay].' She just started laughing and I did too. So I haven't discussed it with her.
I mean, we're always trying to evaluate and tweak things and get better.
I think helped our players in terms of being able to fight through some adversity along the way.
I never ask Candace Parker if she was thinking about leaving because I never had any reason to believe she would. I just kept the focus on the team and on Candace and the role she played for us.
I haven't ever really had a goal to break that record or catch John Wooden.
I really felt like we had to have a go to player.
I think sometimes for me that sounds like almost being selfish. I am not about personal records.