Post by Mod City on Jun 28, 2016 12:26:46 GMT -5
Former Tennessee Volunteers women's basketball coach Pat Summitt passed away today as a result of early onset dementia. I don't really follow women's basketball, but you didn't have to in order to know who she was. No basketball coach at the college Division I level won more games - in either men's or women's hoops.
espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/16577486/legendary-tennessee-lady-vols-coach-pat-summitt-dies-64
As a huge fan of the Indiana Hoosiers, I remember when former coach Kelvin Sampson got Indiana in deep hot water in about 2007 or so. Sanctions, scholarship cuts, mass player defections. The fan base was up in arms to find a new coach - an established, respected, honest, winning college coach. Every name that came up seemed to not fit the bill. Then, a fresh-thinking newspaper columnist offered a suggestion - "How about Pat Summitt?"
In a time when the thought of a woman coaching men's college basketball was (and still is) very unique, many in the old-boy fan network responded quite surprisingly: "That's not a bad idea at all."
Of course, it never happened, and it's doubtful she or Indiana ever really considered the option. But there were many of us out there who were ready for Summitt to lead a men's blue blood program. It would have been exciting and I would have backed her from day one.
Rest well, ma'am.
espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/16577486/legendary-tennessee-lady-vols-coach-pat-summitt-dies-64
As a huge fan of the Indiana Hoosiers, I remember when former coach Kelvin Sampson got Indiana in deep hot water in about 2007 or so. Sanctions, scholarship cuts, mass player defections. The fan base was up in arms to find a new coach - an established, respected, honest, winning college coach. Every name that came up seemed to not fit the bill. Then, a fresh-thinking newspaper columnist offered a suggestion - "How about Pat Summitt?"
In a time when the thought of a woman coaching men's college basketball was (and still is) very unique, many in the old-boy fan network responded quite surprisingly: "That's not a bad idea at all."
Of course, it never happened, and it's doubtful she or Indiana ever really considered the option. But there were many of us out there who were ready for Summitt to lead a men's blue blood program. It would have been exciting and I would have backed her from day one.
Rest well, ma'am.
