Head of the Class

Welcome again to the Bill Bradley Collective, where it is part two of this week’s double drop: a conversation profiling legendary Tennessee women’s college basketball coach Pat Summitt. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, the late Summitt set the record book for all to try and catch. Eight national titles, eighteen Final Four appearances, 1,000+ wins and an Olympic gold medal are among her many notable accomplishments, but her legacy goes far beyond the stat sheet and the hardware. Summitt’s career and eventual ascension of her and the Lady Vols’ program coincide with the rise and growth of the sport, itself. The greatest and highest profile rivalry the sport has ever seen, matching Tennessee and UConn, has attracted more eyes to the women’s game than any other and is in large part responsible for the elevated profile the sport maintains today, and Summitt and Huskies coach Geno Auriemma were the catalysts. Her place among the greatest coaches in college basketball history; the fight with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease that ended her career and took her life far prematurely; and the brief but sordid coaching career of son Tyler are all also considered in this week’s profile of the late coach Pat Summitt on the Bill Bradley Collective.