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| 2003
Inductee Pat Summit |
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Sometimes it is
truly mindboggling to realize what Pat Summitt has accomplished during her illustrious
career. As a player, she won an Olympic silver medal in 1976 and won a Pan American
championship. She coached the Women's Olympic team to its first gold medal in
1984. And in 29 years as head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols,
her accomplishments are literally too numerous to list! Six
NCAA titles, 21 SEC tournament and regular season championships, 11 Olympians,
16 Kodak All-Americans named to 28 teams, 55 All-SEC performers and over 800 victories
-- what a resume! And after her 1997-98 perfect season of 39-0, Pat became the
first female coach to brace the cover of Sports Illustrated. |  | It's
no wonder that in 2000, she was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield,
Mass., the first time she was eligible for the Hall's ballot. Summitt became just
the fourth women's coach to earn Hall of Fame honors. The year before, Summitt
was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of
1999. |
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Summitt's
achievements are unparalleled in the collegiate coaching ranks. In addition to
her inductions into the Halls of Fame, she was named as the Naismith Coach of
the Century in April 2000. She was doubly honored when former Lady Vol Chamique
Holdsclaw was selected as the Naismith Player of the Century. Prior to those announcements,
ESPN selected her program as the "Team of the Decade" (1990's). Off
the court, Summitt is equally celebrated. She travels the country as a popular
motivational speaker, is the subject of best sellers and an HBO documentary, and
has received numerous awards for her work with charities. |
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