Pat Summitt

Quick Facts

• Eight NCAA Championships as the coach of the University of Tennessee
• Co-Captain of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team when the event made its Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Montreal 1976
• Coached the 1984 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team to a historic first gold medal at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984
• Daughter of Richard and Hazel Albright Head
• One son, Tyler
• First Division I basketball coach – men's or women's – to win 1,000 career games 
• In 2022, Summitt was inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame as a coach

Biographical Information 

Pat Summitt (née Head) was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, but later moved to nearby Henrietta because the town of Clarksville didn’t have a high school girls’ basketball team. 

Summitt played collegiate basketball at the University of Tennessee at Martin from 1970 to 1974. After graduation, she would become the head coach at the University of Tennessee at age 22.  During her first few offseasons while coaching at Tennessee, Summitt would play for the U.S. women’s basketball team, competing at both the 1975 FIBA World Championship and winning gold at the Pan American Games Mexico City 1975. A year later, Summitt was co-captain of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team that won silver at the Olympic Games Montreal 1976, where the event made its Olympic debut. 

Eight years later, Summitt returned to the Summer Olympics, this time as head coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984, leading the U.S. to its first Olympic gold medal in women's basketball. 

Summitt spent 38 seasons coaching at Tennessee. During this time, she led the Lady Vols to eight NCAA Division I Championship titles and in 2009 became the first Division I basketball coach – men's or women's – to win 1,000 career games.

In August 2011, Summitt announced that she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She launched the Pat Summitt Foundation, dedicated to fighting Alzheimer's disease and finding a cure. She also continued coaching the Lady Vols for another season, leading them to the 2012 SEC Tournament title.  After the season, Summitt received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and also was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2012 ESPYs.

Summitt passed away on June 28, 2016, two weeks after her 64th birthday. In 2022, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, the first female coach to be inducted.

Olympic Experience

• 1-time Olympian; 1-time Olympic medalist (1 silver)
  • Olympic Games Montreal 1976, silver (Team - Women)

World Championships Experience

• Most recent: 1975 – 8th (Team - Women)
• Years of participation: Team - Women 1975
• Top finish: 8th – 1975 (Team - Women)