Pat Summitt

Summitt. It sounds like a name that is perfect for the consummate winner who played a pivotal role in putting women’s hoops on the map. With her trademark glare, Pat Summitt earned a reputation as one of the game’s great practitioners of tough love. Along the way, she notched more wins than any college basketball coach in NCAA history. Before leading Tennessee’s Lady Vols to eight national championships, she took over the program as a 22-year-old graduate assistant, drove the team van and washed their uniforms. From these modest beginnings Summitt built a powerhouse, never enduring a losing season in 38 years and becoming a role model for young women everywhere. This biography takes students through the twists and turns in Summitt’s story, culminating with her courageous final season as she faced the specter of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Her life is a lesson in fierce determination, uncompromising standards of excellence, and inspirational leadership.