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
We feel like we get everybody's best shot because we're Tennessee, but we have to learn how to give everybody our best shot.
This one is a tough, tough bracket. But if you're going to win a national championship you are going to have to beat the best teams along the way. Sometimes you have to do that in a regional instead of a Final Four.
That's two of the best (players) that we've had in this league. Both made a lot of big plays.
We've built this fan base not on scheduling patsies. We've built it on bringing in the top opponents throughout the country from a lot of conferences and our fans deserve that. We also think that to be the best you have to play the best.
There are some coaches who believe you just let the best players get all the points they can and stop everybody else. Others limit the best player and make other people beat you. For us, we want to guard everybody. But we really want to make sure that we make it hard or at least difficult for that player to continually make the plays.
As a great long-range shooter, she has drawn the best defender, usually the most athletic, sometimes players with a lot of size. In essence, with her ability to shoot the ball the way she can, she has become a target for every team we play.
I think with the players who have been here, regardless of whether they've been in that No. 1 position, that's what we're always trying to be -- the best team.
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 hope we never see Rutgers again in a regional tournament. We've seen them so many times. It's tough to play against one of your best friends.
We weren't good in any aspect of our game tonight.
We were pleased we are able to get the tempo up at times. You have to control the paint and we did that.
We wish them success in all of their future endeavors.
I've talked to her about our team. (I talked to her) when I wasn't really happy with them and she's talked to me about her team and we probably figured we'd see each other in the end.
I've watched her build this team and this program over the last three years and I think she's done a remarkable job. She had her team ready.