The lanky Tennessee farm girl they nicknamed "Bone" grew to heights that no one could have anticipated. She traveled the world, became a kind of surrogate mom to hundreds of daughters and helped fundamentally change collegiate athletics. 
 
 She was born on Flag Day, June 14, 1952, and personified the American dream. Like most iconic figures, she inspired an almost mythical kind of devotion. But how could someone be so larger-than-life magnificent and yet so humbly warm and real? 
 
 That was the essence of Pat Summitt, the longtime Tennessee women's basketball coach who died Tuesday morning at age 64, nearly five years after making public her diagnosis of early-onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. 
 
 To say there will never be anyone else like Summitt is not hyperbole. On the contrary, it seems inadequate. She won eight NCAA titles and went 1,098-208 in 38 seasons as coach at Tennessee. She was one of the most accomplished and influential figures in the history of women's sports, but also was universally respected and beloved. 
 
 "No matter who needs her -- from the last person on the bench to a manager to whoever -- she knew everybody by name and treated them as if they were her own," said three-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker, the star on Tennessee's 2007 and '08 national championship teams. 
 
 "She's made a huge impact on women's basketball. And she would be more excited and more proud in making an impact on an individual. Whenever I was going through things at Tennessee, she would open her door, and I'd come in and sit down." 
 
 Parker left her Los Angeles Sparks team after a victory in Minnesota on Friday to fly to Knoxville, Tennessee, to see Summitt once more. 
 
 "I've coached several Tennessee players, and they keep her in such high regard after they've left," Sparks coach Brian Agler said. "And I know it's not like she was there just patting them on the back the whole way. She challenged them to be great people and great players, and they have so much respect for her. 
 
 "I think she brought the women's college game from the back page to the front page. The Tennessee program, they were really the foundation that the modern era of women's basketball was built on." 
 
 Summitt took the Tennessee job at age 22 in 1974, when women's college athletics were in their infancy. It was just two years after Title IX had been passed, and a significant door to greater opportunities for girls and young women had been cracked open a little. 
 
 No one successfully pushed harder to fling open the door than the native Tennessean known as Pat Head when she started coaching. Whatever obstacles chauvinism and sexism presented, they weren't big enough to stop her. 
 
 In fact, they were no match for someone who had been strengthened since early childhood by the exhausting toil of caring for crops and livestock under the strict eye of her father, Richard Head, who demanded nothing more than everything she could possibly give. 
 
 "She taught me hard work. She's the hardest-working woman I've ever met in my life," Parker said. "She just didn't just say things; she did what she said. That was evident in the way she lived and the way she taught us as players." 
 
 At the 2008 Final Four, when Summitt won what turned out to be her last NCAA title, she retold a story that still seemed funny and fresh whenever she recounted it. As a 12-year-old, she had been left to finish off work in one of her family's hayfields by her father, who expected her to figure out how to get it done by day's end. 
 
 Which she did. And it never occurred to her to hope for a reprieve, even though it was a challenge she hadn't faced by herself before. 
 
 That's actually how Summitt met every challenge she encountered, including the most brutal: the despicable illness that prematurely ended her career, eroded her memories and autonomy, and then took her life. 
 
 When Summitt announced her diagnosis in 2011, there was shock followed by tears from every sector of the sports world. 
 
 Summitt didn't want anyone crying for her, though. She was an optimist but also a realist; she never sugarcoated anything to anyone, least of all herself. She comforted others who were in despair about her illness and told them she would fight it. She and her son, Tyler, established the Pat Summitt Foundation to raise funds for research. 
 
 Schools across the country established "We Back Pat" initiatives to contribute to the foundation. What her close friend, the late NC State coach Kay Yow, did to help in the battle against cancer -- which took Yow's life in 2009 -- Summitt did for Alzheimer's disease. 
 
 Bettye Giles was the women's athletics director at UT Martin when Summitt went to college and played basketball there from 1970 to '74. In the months after Summitt's diagnosis in 2011, Giles was still struggling with how such a thing could have happened to her friend. 
 
 "Pat has been such a big part of the growth of women's athletics," Giles said then, "that maybe it's part of the scheme of things for her to be involved in something major to be discovered with Alzheimer's. Maybe that's one of the greatest contributions she will ever make." 
 
 Alzheimer's seemed the harshest, most unimaginable, most unfair fate for Summitt, who had helped orchestrate so many happy memories for countless people. 
 
 But nothing can ever take away the history she made and the impact she had. Her time was far too short, but her legacy is endless. 
 
 "There's something about that woman," said Abby Conklin, who played on two NCAA championship teams for Summitt. "She gets things out of you that you never knew were in you." 
 
 Small-town beginnings 
 
 Summitt was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, one of five children of Richard and Hazel Head. She grew up in the Montgomery and Cheatham counties in Tennessee, her family relocating to the latter around the time she entered high school because it had a girls' basketball team. 
 
 Patricia Head was known as "Trish" or "Sis" to her family, but she was a bit too shy to correct people at UT Martin when they started calling her "Pat." So Pat she became. 
 
 But the shyness soon largely evaporated, and Pat became one of the most popular people on campus. 
 
 "Everyone liked her," Giles recalled. "She just was so much fun." 
 
 But she was also extremely driven. Summitt suffered a serious knee injury during her senior season of college and rehabbed that in 1974 after moving to Knoxville, taking the Tennessee coaching job, teaching classes there and also going to graduate school. 
 
 Summitt was able to stay active as a player, despite serious knee issues, through the 1976 Olympics, which were the first Summer Games to have women's basketball. Summitt and her U.S. teammates won a silver medal in Montreal. Then she was head coach for the 1984 team that won gold at the Los Angeles Games. 
 
 In all, 14 of Summitt's Tennessee players have been Olympians -- including Tamika Catchings, who will be on her fourth Olympic team later this summer in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
 "Once a Lady Vol, always a Lady Vol," is how Catchings described Summitt's motto. "No matter where I go, or who I talk to, when they ask what college I went to and I say 'University of Tennessee,' they always talk about Pat and the legacy." 
 
 In her early days of coaching, Summitt did what most women's coaches did then: pretty much everything. From driving a team van to washing uniforms to making sandwiches for trips. 
 
 The season before Summitt took over, Tennessee went 25-2 and finished third in the AIAW championships. So Summitt felt as if she had to meet high expectations. Tennessee became a consistent power under Summitt, but winning a national championship took a while for her. Tennessee had two AIAW runner-up finishes in 1980 and '81. 
 
 The NCAA assumed governance of women's athletics for the 1981-82 school year, and the Lady Vols made the first NCAA Women's Final Four in '82. They advanced to the NCAA title game for the first time in 1984, losing to Cheryl Miller and Southern Cal. 
 
 In 1987, Tennessee broke through for Summit's first NCAA title, beating rival Louisiana Tech in the final. It was Summitt's 13th season as coach. 
 
 "Our goal when we got there was to get that monkey off Pat's back and win a championship," said Shelley Sexton Collier, the point guard on the 1987 Lady Vols team. "We wanted to win it for her, but also for all those players who'd been before us." 
 
 Seven more NCAA titles would come, including three in a row from 1996 to '98, culminating with a 39-0 season in 1998. Chamique Holdsclaw was the star on those mid-'90s teams. 
 
 "Coach Summitt is a rare breed," Holdsclaw said. "Because I remember when my grandmother met her, she said, 'You're going to Tennessee.'" 
 
 Growing the women's game 
 
 Summitt always said her toughest loss on the court came in 1990, when Tennessee fell to Virginia in the Elite Eight. It prevented the Lady Vols from playing in the Final Four that they were hosting at Thompson-Boling Arena, and Summitt worried that the games would be sparsely attended by disappointed Tennessee fans. 
 
 She implored them to show up for the good of women's basketball, and they responded. 
 
 "People still came," said former Stanford player Jennifer Azzi, whose Cardinal won the NCAA title that year. "The place was still packed." 
 
 Summitt got her "revenge" a year later, when Tennessee beat Virginia in overtime in the national championship game. But it was the team the Cavaliers had defeated in that 1991 Final Four that would become Tennessee's ultimate rival: UConn. 
 
 Summitt had a reputation for being open to playing any team that elevated itself -- or was trying to -- in women's basketball. 
 
 "Pat has a hard time telling people no, and she does want to do what's best for the game," longtime Tennessee assistant Mickie DeMoss explained in 2011. "If she thinks it's going to promote the sport, that superseded anything else." 
 
 Summitt agreed to a January game at UConn in 1995 that was broadcast on ESPN on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The teams were ranked 1-2, and The Associated Press delayed its poll voting a day to account for the result of the game. UConn won and became the top-ranked team, then defeated Tennessee again three months later in the national championship game. 
 
 The teams would meet again in the national semifinals the next season, and Tennessee would win this one on the way to a run of three NCAA titles in a row. In all, the Lady Vols and Huskies met 22 times, with UConn winning 13. 
 
 UConn coach Geno Auriemma preferred sarcastic sparring in pregame preparation for Tennessee, which was the opposite of Summitt's approach. Their relationship soured over time, and Summitt canceled the series after the 2007 meeting, which the Lady Vols won on their way to the national championship that year. 
 
 But like every other coach, Auriemma was devastated to hear of Summitt's illness. The two shared a hug at the 2012 Final Four in Denver. Auriemma, now with 11 national championships, has donated thousands of dollars to the Pat Summitt Foundation. 
 
 When Auriemma's Huskies won their eighth NCAA title in 2013 to tie Summitt, he brushed off any comparisons to men's basketball coaching greats. 
 
 "The only person I compare myself to is Pat Summitt," Auriemma said then. "And to be in that spot with her means a lot to me." 
 
 What a story to tell 
 
 Summitt chronicled her history and gave her perspective on coaching in three books co-authored with Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins: "Reach for the Summit," "Raise the Roof" and "Sum It Up." 
 
 In "Pat XO," the espnW Nine for IX documentary released in 2013, dozens of family members, friends, players, coaches, opponents and admirers of Summitt recounted their memories in personal videos. Those were then woven together with footage of Summitt's career for a nuanced look at a woman whose influence seems incalculable. 
 
 Tennessee went to the Final Four 22 times under Summitt, 18 of those in the NCAA era. Official SEC play began for women's basketball in 1980, and Summitt won or shared the league's regular-season title 16 times, and also took the SEC tournament crown 16 times. 
 
 Summitt coached 21 players who were named WBCA All-Americans, including two four-timers for that honor, Holdsclaw and Catchings. Summitt was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2000. Her vast coaching tree includes former Tennessee All-American Holly Warlick, who is now head of the Lady Vols program. 
 
 "Pat has said this forever: She wants women to be self-sufficient," Warlick said. "It's our job to get them to that point." 
 
 Summitt faced some personal hard times, including her divorce from husband R.B. Summitt in 2007. But for the most part, her nearly four decades at Tennessee seemed charmed with great fortune that she worked so hard to secure. 
 
 But the announcement of her illness on Aug. 23, 2011, meant that her time as head coach was nearing an unexpected end. In her final season, 2011-12, the Lady Vols won the SEC tournament before a big crowd in Nashville, Tennessee, but then fell in the Elite Eight to eventual national champion Baylor. 
 
 The Lady Bears' Kim Mulkey, who was one of countless Summitt admirers and had played for her with USA Basketball, readily acknowledged she wished she had not been the last coach to face Summitt. But Mulkey praised Summitt after their regional final game as being one of the most important figures in college sports. 
 
 Summitt moved to a coaching emeritus position in April 2012. Then a month later, she was honored at the White House with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor any civilian can receive in the United States. Summitt had been to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. many times previously when she was honored with her Tennessee championship teams. 
 
 President Barack Obama said that because of people like Summitt, his own daughters, Malia and Sasha, "are standing up straight, diving after loose balls, feeling confident and strong." 
 
 Indeed, if there was one lifelong standout in the many complimentary adjectives that have been used to describe Summitt, it's likely that "strong" might be it. She faced her last and most merciless opponent with that same kind of iron-will strength. These past few years, especially, have been heartbreaking for those who love Summitt in the long-goodbye way that Alzheimer's forces people to endure. 
 
 But that's definitely not what the Pat Head Summitt who became a giant would want anyone to be thinking about now. She'd tell them to continue to work to be their best. To reach beyond whatever they thought was their limit. To fight diseases like Alzheimer's until they are defeated. 
 
 She'd assure them that she will, in fact, always be with them. For anyone whose life she intersected with, even briefly, there is a deep gratitude mixed in with the sorrow now. 
 
 We were all touched by someone genuinely and profoundly amazing. ||||| For 38 years Pat Summitt was a winning coach with an impeccable reputation for doing things the right way. She won a ton of games and several National Championships. Along the way she had some great players and one particular look that at times took on a life of its own. 
 
 "First time I got the stare, I showed up five minutes early for practice but I didn't know that meant I was late," former Lady Vol Vicki Baugh said. "I got the stare right away. She said that was unacceptable. I was scared. It was the first time I got the stare from Pat Summitt herself. I was very scared and intimidated." ||||| Pat Summitt, Legendary Tennessee Basketball Coach, Dies At 64 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Wade Payne/AP Wade Payne/AP 
 
 Former University of Tennessee college basketball coach Pat Summitt has died, according to a statement from the Pat Summitt Foundation. She was 64. 
 
 Summitt died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones at a senior living facility in Knoxville, Tenn., her son, Tyler Summitt, said. 
 
 "She was more than a coach to so many — she was a hero and a mentor," her son said. 
 
 Summitt, who coached the Lady Volunteers for 38 years, won 1,098 games and is the leader in all-time wins by a Division I college basketball coach — men's or women's. She led the school to eight national championships, and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Ezra Shaw/Getty Images 
 
 She was diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2011 at the age of 59. Summit decided to retire in 2012, taking the role of "head coach emeritus." As she said at the time: 
 
 "If anyone asks, you can find me observing practice or in my office. Coaching is the great passion of my life, and the job to me has always been an opportunity to work with our student-athletes and help them discover what they want. I will continue to make them my passion. I love our players and my fellow coaches, and that's not going to change." 
 
 toggle caption Pat Sullivan/AP 
 
 Summitt became the head coach of the Lady Vols in 1974 at the age of 22, and represented the United States as a player in the 1976 Olympics, the first that recognized women's basketball. Summitt was head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team when it won Olympic gold in 1984. 
 
 Patricia Sue Head was born on June 14, 1952, in Clarksville, Tenn. The fourth of five children, she grew up and worked on her family's farm throughout the day. In 2009, she told NPR's Michel Martin about how her father's no-nonsense attitude molded her, and eventually led to her style of coaching, including her self-described intensity and an icy-cold stare that could freeze a player in her tracks. 
 
 "I guess I got that from my father," she said. "He — my late father was — he was a man that was very focused and driven. And I grew up on a dairy farm. So, you know, cows never — they don't take a day off on the dairy farm. So we milked at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m., and he just really — he demanded a lot from the five children, but in a good way. I don't think I would have this work ethic or this drive, or probably the stare. But with that, I think that just represents my focus and my intensity." 
 
 During Summitt's first season as head coach, the Lady Vols finished with a winning record, all while she continued her master's degree studies. 
 
 Summitt, well-known both for her love of basketball and her love of Tennessee, displayed that tenacity in a story billed by some as legendary. In 1990, Summitt was on a recruiting trip to Pennsylvania when her water broke. She completed the recruiting visit, then flew home to Knoxville, Tenn., asking the pilots not to stop so that her son, Ross (known to many by Tyler), would be born in the Volunteer State. 
 
 At the beginning of her coaching career, Summitt's teams had no money for uniforms, little attention from fans, and no dressing room to call their own. In a 2009 interview with Time, Summitt said her teams didn't give that much thought. 
 
 YouTube 
 
 "I had to drive the van when I first started coaching. One time, for a road game, we actually slept in the other team's gym the night before. We had mats, we had our little sleeping bags. When I was a player at the University of Tennessee-Martin, we played at Tennessee Tech for three straight games, and we didn't wash our uniforms. We only had one set. We played because we loved the game. We didn't think anything about it." 
 
 Summitt's success with the Lady Vols helped bring women's basketball to the masses. Her success, along with other programs, led to more women's college basketball games being broadcast on national television, and the game's growing popularity no doubt helped to create the Women's National Basketball Association. 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images 
 
 Despite her courtside intensity, Summitt could be known to have fun. Following a game in 2007 in which Tennessee's then-men's basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, donned Tennessee Orange body paint and cheered on the Lady Vols, Summitt returned the favor by showing up to a men's basketball game dressed as a cheerleader and leading the fans in a rendition of "Rocky Top," the school's unofficial fight song. 
 
 In 2013, Summitt spoke with NPR's Linda Wertheimer about the introduction of Title IX as part of the Equal Opportunity in Education Act, which expanded college sports programs for women. 
 
 "It just opened the doors for a lot of players that wanted to play basketball," Summitt said. "We didn't have to go play with the guys. We just did what we wanted to do. ... I thought it was important. That was the best time of my life as far as coaching." 
 
 Summitt's interview in 2013 was, in part, to talk about her memoir, Sum It Up. At the time, Summitt was two years into her diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's-type dementia. 
 
 Summitt's last season as head coach, after her diagnosis, finished much as many seasons before had: with the Lady Vols deep into the NCAA tournament and conference tournament champions. Following her resignation, she was named women's basketball head coach emeritus of the University of Tennessee. 
 
 Summitt continued to focus the attention on her players, deflecting away from herself, much as she did throughout her career. She told The Washington Post shortly after her resignation: ||||| Patricia Sue Head Summitt Obituary 
 
 
 
 June 14, 1952 - June 28, 2016 
 
 June 14, 1952 - June 28, 2016 
 
 “You win in life with people.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 On Tuesday, June 28 2016, Pat passed away peacefully, following a courageous battle with early onset dementia, “Alzheimer’s Type.” This disease attacked a lifetime of precious memories, memories that she has now won back as she rests in her eternal home. Memories that will live on in each and every relationship she developed throughout her life. 
 
 
 
 Born to the late-Richard and Hazel Albright Head on June 14, 1952, in Clarksville, Tenn., Pat was the fourth of five children. Her tireless work ethic was developed early in life as she handled a variety of daily chores on her family’s farm, while never missing a day of school. She worked hard to keep up with her three older brothers, who taught her the game of basketball – a game that would later become a passion and profession for her. 
 
 
 
 After graduating from Cheatham County High in Ashland City in 1970, she went on to the University of Tennessee-Martin, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1974 and leading the women’s basketball team to two national championship tournaments. Her ability to be a leader on the basketball court was evident, and shortly after graduating, she accepted a position at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as the head coach of the women’s basketball team – as a 22-year old. 
 
 
 
 For the next 38 years, the farm girl from Henrietta, Tenn. would impact the game of women’s basketball like no one in the history of the sport. She guided the Lady Vols to eight NCAA championships, 32 combined Southeastern Conference titles and became the winningest NCAA D-1 basketball coach of all time on March 22, 2005. She was named the NCAA Coach of the Year seven times and the Naismith Coach of the Century in 2000. 
 
 
 
 Pat also excelled internationally, as both a coach and player. As a player, she was a co-captain of the 1976 U.S. women’s team, earning the silver medal during the Olympic Games held in Montreal. She then went on to coach the U.S. Junior National and U.S. National teams to multiple championships and medals, culminating with a magical run as head coach of the 1984 U.S. Women’s Olympic team, leading them to the gold medal during the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles. 
 
 
 
 Of all the records, awards, and stats, Pat would point to one number as the most significant in her career – 161. This is the number of Lady Vols who contributed to the 1,098 wins over the span of her illustrious career. To these 161 student-athletes she was more than a coach – she was a friend, mentor and a loving mother. 
 
 
 
 Motherhood suited Pat, and on September 21, 1990, she and R.B. Summitt II had their first and only child, Ross “Tyler” Summitt. The relationship between a mother and son is a special one, and they had an unbreakable bond built on their love for God and for one another. They also shared a passion for the game of basketball, a game that would provide the two of them many unique moments and milestones, side by side. 
 
 
 
 She was most proud of one special moment they shared that outshines all the others. On May 5, 2012, Pat and Tyler were baptized together. On this day, they decided together to go public with their faith and professed their love for and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. On this day, they created the ultimate and eternal memory, together. 
 
 
 
 Pat is survived by her mother, Hazel Albright Head; son, Ross “Tyler” Summitt (AnDe); sister, Linda; brothers, Tommy (Deloris), Charles (Mitzi) and Kenneth (Debbie). 
 
 
 
 A private service and burial for family and friends will be held in Middle Tennessee. A public service to celebrate her life will take place at Thompson-Boling Arena, on the campus of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Details for the celebration of life will be shared at a later date. 
 
 
 
 Memorial gifts may be made to The Pat Summitt Foundation by visiting 
 
 
 
 This is one simple statement that Patricia Sue Head Summitt embodied, lived by and passed on to so many throughout her 64 years of life. She ‘won’ every day of her life because of the relationships she developed, nurtured and cherished. Relationships with her family and friends. Relationships with players, coaches, and fans. And most importantly, a strong relationship with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.On Tuesday, June 28 2016, Pat passed away peacefully, following a courageous battle with early onset dementia, “Alzheimer’s Type.” This disease attacked a lifetime of precious memories, memories that she has now won back as she rests in her eternal home. Memories that will live on in each and every relationship she developed throughout her life.Born to the late-Richard and Hazel Albright Head on June 14, 1952, in Clarksville, Tenn., Pat was the fourth of five children. Her tireless work ethic was developed early in life as she handled a variety of daily chores on her family’s farm, while never missing a day of school. She worked hard to keep up with her three older brothers, who taught her the game of basketball – a game that would later become a passion and profession for her.After graduating from Cheatham County High in Ashland City in 1970, she went on to the University of Tennessee-Martin, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1974 and leading the women’s basketball team to two national championship tournaments. Her ability to be a leader on the basketball court was evident, and shortly after graduating, she accepted a position at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as the head coach of the women’s basketball team – as a 22-year old.For the next 38 years, the farm girl from Henrietta, Tenn. would impact the game of women’s basketball like no one in the history of the sport. She guided the Lady Vols to eight NCAA championships, 32 combined Southeastern Conference titles and became the winningest NCAA D-1 basketball coach of all time on March 22, 2005. She was named the NCAA Coach of the Year seven times and the Naismith Coach of the Century in 2000.Pat also excelled internationally, as both a coach and player. As a player, she was a co-captain of the 1976 U.S. women’s team, earning the silver medal during the Olympic Games held in Montreal. She then went on to coach the U.S. Junior National and U.S. National teams to multiple championships and medals, culminating with a magical run as head coach of the 1984 U.S. Women’s Olympic team, leading them to the gold medal during the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles.Of all the records, awards, and stats, Pat would point to one number as the most significant in her career – 161. This is the number of Lady Vols who contributed to the 1,098 wins over the span of her illustrious career. To these 161 student-athletes she was more than a coach – she was a friend, mentor and a loving mother.Motherhood suited Pat, and on September 21, 1990, she and R.B. Summitt II had their first and only child, Ross “Tyler” Summitt. The relationship between a mother and son is a special one, and they had an unbreakable bond built on their love for God and for one another. They also shared a passion for the game of basketball, a game that would provide the two of them many unique moments and milestones, side by side.She was most proud of one special moment they shared that outshines all the others. On May 5, 2012, Pat and Tyler were baptized together. On this day, they decided together to go public with their faith and professed their love for and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. On this day, they created the ultimate and eternal memory, together.Pat is survived by her mother, Hazel Albright Head; son, Ross “Tyler” Summitt (AnDe); sister, Linda; brothers, Tommy (Deloris), Charles (Mitzi) and Kenneth (Debbie).A private service and burial for family and friends will be held in Middle Tennessee. A public service to celebrate her life will take place at Thompson-Boling Arena, on the campus of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Details for the celebration of life will be shared at a later date.Memorial gifts may be made to The Pat Summitt Foundation by visiting www.patsummitt.org/donate 
 
 Tyler Summitt’s Statement on the passing of his mother, Pat Summitt 
 
 Statement from The Pat Summitt Foundation 
 
 Statement for Joan Cronan on Pat Summitt’s death 
 
 Statement from James A. Haslam II, Chairman of the Pat Summitt Foundation Board, on the passing of Pat Summitt 
 
 
 
 
 
 “It is with tremendous sadness that I announce the passing of my mother, Patricia Sue Head Summitt.She died peacefully this morning at Sherrill Hill Senior Living in Knoxville surrounded by those who loved her most.Since 2011, my mother has battled her toughest opponent, early onset dementia, ‘Alzheimer’s Type,’ and she did so with bravely fierce determination just as she did with every opponent she ever faced. Even though it’s incredibly difficult to come to terms that she is no longer with us, we can all find peace in knowing she no longer carries the heavy burden of this disease.For 64 years, my mother first built her life upon a strong relationship with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Her foundation was also built upon love of her family and of her players, and love of the fundamentals of hard work which reflected her philosophy that ‘you win in life with people’.She was the fourth of five children – Tommy, Charles, Kenneth and Linda – born to Richard and Hazel Head on June 14, 1952, in Clarksville, Tenn. Her tireless work ethic and her love of the game of basketball were created during the time she spent growing up on the family farm.She’ll be remembered as the all-time winningest D-1 basketball coach in NCAA history, but she was more than a coach to so many – she was a hero and a mentor, especially to me, her family, her friends, her Tennessee Lady Volunteer staff and the 161 Lady Vol student-athletes she coached during her 38-year tenure.We will all miss her immensely.A private service and burial will be held for my mother in Middle Tennessee. I ask that you respect the privacy of that time.We are in the process of finalizing the details of a public celebration of her life which will take place in one of her favorite places, Thompson-Boling Arena. Once those details are finalized, we will share them with you.Thank you.”The leadership of The Pat Summitt Foundation released the following statement on the passing of their founder, Pat Head Summitt, University of Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Emeritus.Coach Summitt served as The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Women’s Basketball Head Coach for 38 seasons and became the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history for men’s and women’s teams with 1098 wins, eight national championships and 32 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships.In August 2011, at the age of 59, she bravely announced her diagnosis of early-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type. She founded The Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation, in November 2011, with the mission of making a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease by advancing research for a cure and providing education and caregiving services for patients and their families.James A. Haslam II, Advisory Board Chairman of The Pat Summitt Foundation stated, “On behalf of the Board, I want to express our deep sorrow to Pat’s family on her passing. Alzheimer’s is such a horrific disease and as you know currently has no cure. Since Pat was diagnosed in 2011 she dedicated her life to this Foundation in the hope of helping find a cure. We will continue that work on her behalf and in fact will open The Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Clinic at The University of Tennessee Medical Center by the end of this year.”“On a personal note, there are not many icons that you come in contact with in your lifetime and we all were fortunate to know one, Pat Summitt. Her work ethic, her dedication to the young women she coached, and her integrity in everything she did will never be equalled. She set the standard for excellence in academics, athletics and life. She was a role model and an inspiration and we are all enriched for having known her.”In January 2015, The Pat Summitt Foundation announced a partnership with The University of Tennessee Medical Center to launch the establishment of The Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Clinic on their Knoxville, Tennessee campus which will more than double available care and services to patients and caregivers and advance research through clinical trials. The Foundation has committed funding to this effort with a pledge of $2.5 million over the next five years.Pat Summitt, when she spoke of her wish for her legacy said, “I thought I would be remembered for winning basketball games, but I hope I’m remembered for making a difference in this disease.” The Pat Summitt Foundation is committed to making Pat’s mission a reality with the support of her family, friends, associates, and fans who, as donors and partners are helping create The Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Clinic at The University of Tennessee Medical Center."Words are not adequate for my feelings at this time. Pat Summitt was the most courageous person I’ve ever known in fighting this disease. She was determined to make a difference in bringing attention to the disease and she has done that. She fought the good fight and all of us who loved her will continue that fight on her behalf through the Pat Summitt Foundation.As you know I worked with Pat for over 30 years. People would refer to me as her boss and I always remarked, Pat Summitt has no boss. She was the ultimate leader who led by example with strength, character and integrity but also with care. She loved her family and players with a fierceness equalled only by that renowned stare of hers.The legacy she leaves is immense. Her players, who all have college degrees, have been enriched by her teaching. They are coaches, professors, television personalities, businesswomen, all now making a difference in their world because of Pat Summitt.There will never be another Pat Summitt. She belongs to the ages now and we are sad but so fortunate to have called her a colleague and friend."“Obviously the first thing I want to do on behalf of the Board is express our deep sorrow to Pat’s family on her passing. Alzheimer’s is such a horrific disease and as you know currently has no cure. Since Pat was diagnosed in 2011 she dedicated her life to this Foundation in the hope of helping find a cure. We will continue that work on her behalf and in fact will open the Pat Summitt Alzheimer’s Clinic at the UT Medical Center by the end of this year.On a personal note, there are not many icons that you come in contact in your lifetime and we all were fortunate to know one, Pat Summitt. Her work ethic, her dedication to the young women she coached, and her integrity in everything she did will never be equalled. She set the standard for excellence in academics, athletics and life. She was a role model and an inspiration and we are all enriched for having known her. “ ||||| Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. 
 
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 Lawson on Summitt: She was selfless even after her diagnosis (3:02) 
 
 Editor's note: This flashback to Pat Summitt's career was originally published in April 2012, when the Tennessee coaching legend stepped down as the Lady Vols' head coach. Some records might have been broken since. 
 
 Some say the road to Pat Summitt's success all began 38 years ago, when she took over Tennessee in September 1974, then co-captained Team USA to a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics. Others argue that Summitt truly broke onto the national scene in the '80s, when she coached the USA to its first gold medal in women's basketball in Olympic competition (1984) and won her first two NCAA titles. 
 
 Either way, Summitt ensured her legendary status in the 1990s, when she won four national championships, including a then-unprecedented three consecutive from 1996-98 and a perfect 39-0 run to cap the three-peat. In 2008, Summitt led the Lady Vols to their eighth national championship and NCAA-record 18th Final Four. 
 
 Summitt, who is the winningest Division I coach in men's and women's basketball and ranks second only to legendary UCLA coach Wooden for the most NCAA titles, has produced 20 30-plus win seasons, 16 SEC regular-season and 16 SEC tournament championships. Her teams appeared in 13 national championship games and are the only program to compete in every NCAA tournament since its inception in 1982. 
 
 Here's a look at some of the bigger moments from the 59-year-old's career in Knoxville, Tenn. 
 
 Jan. 10, 1975: Summitt, 22, wins her first game as a coach at the collegiate level, a 69-32 victory over Middle Tennessee in Tennessee's Alumni Gym in front of 53 spectators. Gerald Ford is the president, gas costs 36 cents a gallon, the No. 1 television show is "All in the Family" and the Steelers were once again playing in the big game -- Super Bowl IX. 
 
 Jan. 13, 1979: Summitt hits the century mark, winning her 100th game, a 79-66 victory over NC State. 
 
 Editor's Picks Legendary Summitt truly one of a kind She was one of sports' most accomplished figures but also universally beloved and humbly warm. To say there will never be anyone like Pat Summitt is not hyperbole. In fact, it seems inadequate. 
 
 Summitt inspired a generation Pat Summitt brought respect to women's college basketball and made young players -- even those who weren't good enough to suit up for the Lady Vols -- want to be the best. 1 Related 
 
 Dec. 3, 1982: Tennessee beats St. John's 69-56 in Detroit's Coca-Cola Classic for Summitt's 200th coaching victory. 
 
 Jan. 4, 1987: An 87-68 victory over North Carolina earns Summitt win No. 300. 
 
 March 29, 1987: The Lady Vols win their first NCAA title, beating Louisiana Tech 67-44 at the Erwin Events Center on the University of Texas campus. 
 
 April 2, 1989: Summitt and the Lady Vols win NCAA title No. 2, beating SEC rival Auburn 76-60 at the Tacoma Dome. 
 
 Jan. 25, 1990: Tennessee beats South Carolina 70-69 to deliver win No. 400. 
 
 March 31, 1991: The Lady Vols beat Virginia 70-67 in the first overtime national championship game for Summitt's third NCAA title, this time winning in New Orleans. 
 
 Nov. 21, 1993: Summitt's 500th coaching victory arrives with the Vols' 80-45 season-opening victory over Ohio State. 
 
 March 31, 1996: The Lady Vols capture their fourth NCAA title, this time in Charlotte, N.C., with an 83-65 win over Georgia. 
 
 Nov. 23, 1996: Five games into the season, Tennessee beats Marquette 83-68 for Summitt's 600th coaching victory. 
 
 March 30, 1997: Despite losing 10 games on the season, the Lady Vols upset Old Dominion 68-59 in Cincinnati for the program's fifth national championship. 
 
 Pat Summitt, right, gives a hug to her mom, Hazel Head, who surprised her daughter by showing up for win No. 880. AP 
 
 Feb. 22, 1998: The Lady Vols beat Louisiana State 90-58 at Thompson-Boling Arena to cap a 30-0 record, the program's first undefeated regular season. 
 
 March 29, 1998: Tennessee beats Louisiana Tech 93-75 in Kansas City, Mo., to wrap up a perfect 39-0 season and its then-unprecedented third consecutive NCAA title. 
 
 Jan. 17, 1999: More than 50 former players attend Summitt's Silver Anniversary gathering. Midway through Summitt's 25th season at Tennessee, the Lady Vols beat Kentucky 98-60. 
 
 Dec. 5, 1999: The Lady Vols beat Wisconsin 85-62 on the road to capture Summitt's 700th career coaching victory. 
 
 Feb. 2, 2000: Tennessee beats top-ranked Connecticut 72-71 on the road. The Lady Vols' victory would be UConn's only loss during the Huskies' NCAA title run. 
 
 March 5, 2000: Tennessee rallies for a 70-67 win over Mississippi State in the SEC championship game to claim an unprecedented third consecutive conference tournament title and 10th overall. 
 
 March 31, 2000: The Lady Vols beat Rutgers 64-54 at the Final Four to advance to what was then an NCAA-record ninth national championship game. 
 
 Journey to 1,000 wins Pat Summitt's fastest 100-win total occurred between victories No. 500 and 600, which she amassed in just three years, two days. From her first victory on Jan. 10, 1974, to win No. 999 on Jan. 29, 2009, 12,438 days passed. A look at how long it took Summitt to reach each plateau. Wins Length 1-100 4 years, 4 days 100-200 3 years, 324 days 200-300 4 years, 32 days 300-400 3 years, 21 days 400-500 3 years, 300 days 500-600 3 years, 2 days 600-700 3 years, 12 days 700-800 3 years, 39 days 800-900 3 years, 4 days 900-1,000 3 years, 17 days 
 
 April 2000: Summitt is named Naismith Coach of the Century, then is doubly honored as former Lady Vol Chamique Holdsclaw is named the Naismith Player of the Century. 
 
 Oct. 13, 2000: In a class that includes Isiah Thomas and Bob McAdoo, Summitt is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., the first time she was eligible for the Hall's ballot. Summitt was just the fourth women's basketball coach to earn Hall of Fame honors. 
 
 Feb. 1, 2001: In one of the top games in the storied rivalry with Connecticut, Summitt earns win No. 750 with a 92-88 victory over the Huskies in Thompson-Boling Arena. 
 
 Nov. 18, 2001: In their 2001-02 home opener, the Lady Vols rout USC 106-66 as Summitt wins her 200th game at Thompson-Boling Arena. 
 
 Nov. 23, 2001: Summitt notches her 300th all-time win against a ranked opponent as Tennessee beats Louisiana Tech. 
 
 Feb. 7, 2002: Tennessee's 93-65 win over Arkansas marks Summitt's 1,000th game as a head coach (including college and international contests). 
 
 March 25, 2002: With a 69-63 win over Vanderbilt in the Midwest Regional final, Summitt earns her 13th Final Four appearance to surpass John Wooden. The 788th win also ties Summitt with Texas coach Jody Conradt for most wins among women's basketball coaches. 
 
 Jan. 14, 2003: Tennessee beats DePaul 76-57 in Knoxville, Tenn., as Summitt becomes the first women's college basketball coach -- and first female -- to reach the 800-win plateau. She also is the quickest male or female to do so, needing 961 games. Adolph Rupp achieved 800 in 972 games; Dean Smith needed 1,029. 
 
 Jan. 22, 2004: Summitt coaches in her 1,000th collegiate game, a 79-54 victory over Vanderbilt at home. 
 
 Feb. 29, 2004: With an 85-62 victory over LSU, Tennessee wraps up an unprecedented seventh consecutive SEC regular-season championship -- with a perfect 14-0 record. 
 
 March 6, 2005: After failing to win at least a share of the SEC regular-season title for the first time since 1997, the fifth-ranked Lady Vols upset No. 1 LSU 67-65 in the SEC tournament final for Summitt's first conference tourney crown in five seasons. 
 
 March 22, 2005: In the second round of the NCAA tournament, Summitt surpasses former North Carolina men's coach Dean Smith as the all-time winningest coach in college basketball history with victory No. 880. In a surprise postgame ceremony that included Summitt's mother, Hazel Head, the court at Thompson-Boling Arena is christened "The Summitt." 
 
 Jan. 19, 2006: Summitt scores win No. 900 with an 80-68 victory at Vanderbilt. She goes on to pass Bob Knight (902); former Texas women's coach Jody Conradt is the only other coach with 900 wins. 
 
 Summitt's coaching career Pat Summitt was the first coach (men's or women's) to reach the 100-win mark in the NCAA tournament (112). During her 38 seasons, Tennessee produced 20 All-Americans and 12 Olympians. She earned $8,900 in her first season at Tennessee, but in 2008-09 became the first women's coach to earn more than $1 million in a season. Seasons 38 All-time record 1,098-208 (.841) vs. ranked opponents 440-168 (.724) NCAA tourney record 112-23 (.830) Final Fours 18 NCAA titles 8 SEC record 458-69 (.869) SEC championships 16 out of 32 SEC tourney titles 16 out of 32 SEC tourney games 69-17 (.795) 
 
 April 3, 2007: Twenty years after winning her first title (and nine years since her last), Summitt picks up championship No. 7. After overcoming a 12-point deficit over the final 8:18 to beat North Carolina in the Final Four, Tennessee tops Rutgers 59-46 in the NCAA title game. 
 
 March 25, 2008: Tennessee routs Purdue 78-52 in the second round to give Summitt the distinction of being the first coach in Division I basketball -- men's or women's -- to win 100 NCAA tournament games. 
 
 April 8, 2008: Win No. 983 is also Summitt's eighth NCAA crown, as the Lady Vols avenge their only two losses of the season at the Final Four. After beating LSU on a buzzer-beater in the semis, Tennessee beat heavily favored Stanford, 64-48, in Summitt's 13th appearance in the NCAA title game. 
 
 Feb. 5, 2009: Three days after Oklahoma denied Summitt win No. 1,000 on her first try, the coach secures the milestone with a 73-43 victory over Georgia at Thompson-Boling Arena. Summitt is the first Division I coach -- man or woman -- to win 1,000 games. 
 
 March 7, 2010: A year after losing its NCAA tournament opener for the first time in program history, Tennessee beats Kentucky 70-62 to its first sweep of the of the SEC's regular-season and tournament championships in 10 years. As her players were cutting down their championship nets, Summitt grabbed the microphone and belted out "Rocky Top." Said Summitt: "I did that for the fans. I know I don't have a great voice, but our fans love 'Rocky Top.'" Tennessee gets a No. 1 seed a week later before falling in the Sweet 16. 
 
 Jan. 2, 2011: The Lady Vols fail to hit a 3-pointer for the first time in 422 games (since Jan. 21, 1999), going 0-for-7 from beyond the arc, but still beat LSU 73-65. The win is Pat Summitt's 1,050 career victory. 
 
 March 6, 2011: Summitt sings again. The Lady Vols again double up on SEC titles, but this run is all the more special as it's just the third time -- and first since 1997-98 -- that Tennessee goes undefeated in SEC play. The 90-65 win over Kentucky gives the Lady Vols their first back-to-back SEC tournament titles since 2005-06. Tennessee hits a single-game SEC tournament- and school-record 16 3-pointers in the SEC final. 
 
 Dec. 5, 2011: Sports Illustrated names Summitt its Sportswoman of the Year. Mike Krzyzewski, the Sportsman of the Year, and Summitt are the NCAA's all-time winningest men's and women's basketball coaches. They join an elite group of sports immortals, including Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Michael Jordan, Billie Jean King, Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Orr, as recipients of the honor. 
 
 Dec. 6, 2011: The NCAA announces that Summitt is the recipient of the 2012 NCAA President's Gerald R. Ford Award, which honors an individual who has provided significant leadership as an advocate for intercollegiate athletics over the course of their career. "Pat embraces student-athlete success in all aspects of college life and models the behaviors that help young people become great citizens and leaders after their playing days have ended," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "Her commitment to excellence both in molding championship teams and developing the individuals who play the game is beyond compare." 
 
 March 4, 2012: For the third consecutive year, Tennessee captures the SEC tournament crown. The Lady Vols beat LSU, coached by former Tennessee standout Nikki Caldwell, 70-58. 
 
 March 24, 2012: Summitt wins her final game, 84-73, as second-seeded Tennessee beats Kansas in the Sweet 16. It's the first time in the 2011-12 season that the Lady Vols trail at the break but come back to win. Summitt's 112 NCAA tournament wins is more than any other women's coach. Two days later, Tennessee falls to eventual NCAA champion Baylor, giving Summitt a 1,098-208 career coaching record.
– Pat Summitt, whose work ethic (and famous intense stare) was born on her family's farm and propelled her to rack up more wins than any other basketball coach (men's or women's) in NCAA Division I history, died Tuesday at age 64, the AP reports. "It is with tremendous sadness that I announce the passing of my mother, Patricia Sue Head Summitt," her son, 25-year-old Tyler Summitt, announced on the Pat Summitt Foundation website. "She died peacefully [Tuesday morning] at Sherrill [Hills] Senior Living in Knoxville surrounded by those who loved her most." Summitt had to retire at age 59 due to early-onset Alzheimer's, the Washington Post reports, and Tyler Summitt notes that his mom fought the disease with "bravely fierce determination, just as she did with every opponent she ever faced." Pat Summitt was barely in her 20s when she started coaching the Tennessee Lady Vols, and over nearly four decades, she built up an astounding record. Under her direction, the Lady Vols took home eight national championships (only UCLA's John Wooden coached his team to more championship wins), per ESPN, and made it to the Final Four 22 times (18 times as an NCAA team), ABC News notes. She ended her coaching career with 1,098 wins under her belt when she retired in 2012, and she also coached the US women's basketball team to its first gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, NPR notes. "I grew up on a dairy farm," she told NPR in 2009. "Cows … don't take a day off. … [My father] demanded a lot from the five children, but in a good way. I don't think I would have this work ethic or this drive, or probably the stare."