KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The legendary Lady Vols coach, Pat Summitt, was born this day in 1952.
Pat Summitt was the head coach of the Tennessee women's basketball team from 1974 to 2012. She won eight NCAA championships and left her coaching career with a 1,098-208 record.
She was the first-ever college basketball coach to reach 1,000 wins.
Summitt coached 39 All-SEC players and 21 All-American players, her teams made 18 Final Four appearances and won 32 combined Southeastern Conference titles.
Summitt announced in August 2011 that she had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.
Many expected her to announce her retirement then and there. However, her fierce nature hadn't been affected by the disease, as she announced that she planned to coach in the 2011-2012 season.
During her last season as coach, she did what she does best and led the Lady Vols to the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA tournament.
In 2012, Pat Summitt stepped down as head coach, but of course, didn't leave her girls hanging. She became the coach emeritus and continued to attend practices.
Announced by her son, Tyler Summitt, Pat passed away on June 28, 2016, surrounded by her loved ones.
It can be said that more than just Tennessee fans mourned the passing of the legendary coach. Along with countless others, The White House put out a statement on the death of Pat Summitt.
Before her death, Pat and Tyler Summitt founded the Pat Summitt Foundation to help in finding a cure for Alzheimer's.
In 2015, The Pat Summitt Clinic was announced. It is a clinic at The University of Tennessee Medical Center that focuses and provides healthcare services for families and patients facing Alzheimer's.