Article about Pat Summitt

#3
#3
I was on a flight from Chicago to Knoxville before the Gaffney game. I met a Florida grad waiting in line to board and we agreed to split cab fare from the airport to the campus area.

He happened to sit next to Coach Summitt on the flight (in Coach) and told her that he didn’t yet have tickets to the game.

Fast forward to while we were waiting in the cab line. A large SUV pulled up and guess who popped out and handed him two tickets? None other than Coach Summitt.

I got to meet her, too. Such a classy, impressive person.

I can tell you that she made a Gator a fan that day.
 
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#4
#4
During the 1996 SEC Women's tournament at Chattanooga she left two very long-lasting impressions on me

In a hallway she was asked; re potential recruits and players,,"if there was anything she wouldn't coach"...she replied, "I coach everything,,but I won't coach passion,,If I have to teach you to love my game, I don't want you"

Sitting with her as she scouted Alabama, she and I were talking about coaching,,,specifically younger girls,,she said.."Girls get Uncles, Dads and Brothers,,,they don't get real coaches"...This is the very instance that I determined to be one of those "real coaches"...I was approached to coach boys many times but that sitting with her, set my path.
 
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#5
#5
Probably the best story I've ever heard about Coach Pat came from a CBS Sports reporter (pretty sure it was Lundquist but not certain).
Story goes that the press corps was gathered for the post-game and had been left waiting for an extended amount of time and were restless.
I think it was the last year of either Don DeVoe or Wade Houston.
Coach finally arrived, gave a 15 second blurb about yet another uninspired, dismal, effortless, loss, answered one or two questions and tucked tail and sauntered back to the lockers...everyone knew that he knew his time at UT was over.
Someone piped up, "Who do you all think is the next HC here?".
Someone else chimed in "What about Pat?'.

Room went completely silent as everyone knew it wouldn't be a bad hire and likely the best person UT could get for the job at that time.
 
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#6
#6
TY for this thread MCannon! CPS will ALWAYS be my favorite person in sports..I was blessed to get to know her and have her get to know my family..My wife had surgery just a few days after I first met CPS..I can tell you she NEVER failed to ask about my wife's health and it was always the FIRST thing she asked..She and my wife became good friends and I can tell you it was a great source of pride for my family to know someone of her stature to genuinely care about them without strings attached..Legendary coach for sure but absolutely a world class person besides..A tragic loss for everyone.....
 
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#8
#8
There will never be a finer Tennessean, and no finer coach, than Pat. I think plenty of coaches have qualities of Pat's - her thoughtfulness, or her competitiveness, her acumen, or her discipline, or her ability to motivate others. You see flashes, bits and pieces, here and there, from coaches in the game today.

But I can't think of a one who has those qualities in equal measure. No one close. She was the perfect storm. An apex competitor. There are others who are elite, to be sure, but none better.

I met her, in passing from time to time, as many of us have. She was just as described. And when folks speak poorly of her, you had best believe I will get out my knives. I'll not have it.
 
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#9
#9
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