Alone at the Summitt

PAT SUMMITT FILE

Birthdate: June 14, 1952
At Tennessee: 31st season
Overall record: 880-171 (.837)
Home: 403-39 (.912)
SEC games: 347-53 (.867)
vs. ranked teams: 353-141 (.715)
NCAA Tournament: 87-17 (.837)
Final Four appearances: 15
First/second rounds: 36-0
Sweet 16: 19-4
Elite Eight: 15-4
NCAA titles: 6
SEC regular-season titles: 13 of 26
SEC tournament crowns: 11 of 26
NCAA coach of the year: 1983, '87, '89, '94, '95, '98, '04

HUNDREDS AT A TIME

Win No. 1: Jan. 10, 1975
In second game of career, Summitt scores 69-32 win over Middle Tennessee State at UT's Alumni Gym, in front of 53 fans.

Win No. 100: Jan. 13, 1979
Three years and 362 days into her career, Summitt reaches century mark with 79-66 win over North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C.

Win No. 200: Dec. 3, 1982
Lady Vols hold off off St. John's 69-56 at Detroit's Coca-Cola Classic. Wins 100-200 accomplished in three years, 324 days.

Win No. 300: Jan. 4, 1987
Five years and 32 days later, Summitt claimed No. 300 with a 87-68 win over UNC. More importantly, NCAA title No. 1 came just 19 wins later.

Win No. 400: Jan. 25, 1990
This group, capped with 70-69 win over South Carolina, came fast (three years, 21 days) and wrapped around NCAA titles in '87, '89.

Win No. 500: Nov. 21, 1993
The 80-45 rout of Ohio State came in the inaguaral State Farm Classic, vs. former asst. Nancy Darsch. Span: three years, 300 days.

Win No. 600: Nov. 23, 1996
Fastest woman to reach 600 (734 games) given cake by then-Vermont Gov. Howard Dean after 83-68 win over Marquette. Fastest 100.

Win No. 700: Dec 5, 1999
Set of 100, capped with 85-62 win at Wisconsin, came in three years, 12 days; included three NCAA titles, perfect 39-0 in '98.

Win No. 800: Jan. 14, 2002
Latest set of 100 wins took three years, 38 days, and was accomplished at home in Thompson-Boling Arena with a 76-57 win over DePaul.

Win No. 880: March 22, 2005
Tennessee tops Purdue 75-54 as Summitt overtakes Dean Smith to become the all-time winningest coach in Division I history.

Summitt's year-by-year résumé

No women's college basketball coach has more wins than Pat Summitt. For that matter, no coach in college basketball history -- including men's hoops -- will have won more games if Summitt and Tennessee have their way Sunday against Western Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Summitt can tie Dean Smith's record-879 victories with a win Sunday, and break the mark Tuesday in a potential second-round match against either New Mexico or Purdue. Summitt's Lady Vols have never lost in the first two rounds, where they're a combined 34-0.

In 31 seasons, Summitt has guided the Lady Vols to six NCAA championships, 24 SEC regular-season and conference touranment titles, and 14 seasons with at least 30 wins, while producing 18 Kodak All-Americans and 12 Olympians.

And every season, beginning with Summitt's first in 1974 when she was just 22, has produced something special and significant. Not many résumés can stand up to the Tennessee coach's lengthy list of accolades, and it's no wonder they call her the Wizard of Knoxville.

A year-by-year look at Summitt's career at Tennessee:

SUMMITT'S COACHING RÉSUMÉ
SEASON RECORD HIGHLIGHTS
1974-75 16-8 Wins 67 percent of games and posts winning record in first year as 22-year-old head coach
1975-76 16-11 Earns first AIAW Regional berth
1976-77 28-5 Beat Delta State, three-time AIAW champion, by 20 in front of a then-record 6,000 fans; first No. 1 ranking (AIAW poll)
1977-78 27-4 Beat Delta State, three-time AIAW champion, by 20 in front of a then-record 6,000 fans; first No. 1 ranking (AIAW poll)
1978-79 30-9 Wins 100th game with a 79-66 win over N.C. State on Jan. 13; reaches AIAW Final Four
1979-80 33-5 Wins inaugural SEC Tournament; AIAW runner-up, losing to Old Dominion
1980-81 25-6 Goes 3-0 against ODU; places second at third straight AIAW Final Four
1981-82 22-10 Invited to first-ever NCAA Tournament, where Vols go 3-1 before losing in Final Four
1982-83 25-8 Despite being riddled with injury, Vols reach Tournament and Summitt wins 200th game
1983-84 22-10 Lady Vols reach first NCAA title game despite 6-4 start
1984-85 28-5 Lady Vols earn fourth consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament
1985-86 24-10 Set single-game record* for most points in 130-38 win; Vols return to Final Four as Mickie DeMoss, Holly Warlick join coaching staff
1986-87 28-6 Lady Vols win their first NCAA title, picking up Summitt's 300th win along the way
1987-88 31-3 Reach second straight NCAA title game while making third consecutive Final Four appearance
1988-89 35-2 Lady Vols win their second NCAA title, beating every Tournament opponent by at least 12 points
1989-90 27-6 Wins 400th game as Lady Vols beat South Carolina 70-69 on Jan. 25
1990-91 30-5 Vols win their third NCAA title, beating Virginia 70-67 in first overtime championship game
1991-92 28-3 SEC regular-season title slips away, but Vols claim fifth SEC Tournament title
1992-93 29-3 Beat defending NCAA champ Stanford twice; Vols go undefeated against SEC teams during regular season for the first time
1993-94 31-2 Wins 500th game with 80-45 victory over Ohio State on Nov. 21
1994-95 34-3 Vols reach their fifth NCAA title game; in November, Summitt signs Chamique Holdsclaw
1995-96 32-4 With freshman Holdsclaw, Lady Vols win their fourth NCAA title
1996-97 29-10 Become second team in NCAA history to win back-to-back national titles -- and with more losses than any previous champ
1997-98 39-0 Lady Vols cap undefeated season with unprecedented third straight NCAA title
1998-99 31-3 Duke denies fourpeat, but Vols draw NCAA-record 413,580 fans; Meeks become first trio from one team named to Kodak All-America team
1999-00 31-3 Summitt, the Naismith Coach of the Century, gets win No. 700 on Dec. 5 (85-62 over Wisconsin); reaches NCAA title game; ESPY's co-winner of The Collegiate Team of the Decade
2000-01 31-3 Program-record nine players earn Dean's List honors for fall semester; senior class graduates with 134-10 record and four straight 30-win seasons; in win over Illinois on Nov. 25, 2000, Michelle Snow dunks
2001-02 29-5 Tennessee reaches national semifinals as Summitt surpasses John Wooden with her NCAA-record 13th Final Four appearance
2002-03 33-5 With win over DePaul, Summitt becomes first women's coach -- and first female -- to reach 800-win plateau, doing so in 961 games. Adolph Rupp achieved 800 in 972 games; Dean Smith needed 1,029
2003-04 31-4 Reaches NCA title game for second straight year, and Final Four for NCAA-record 15th time; Summitt also signs the "Super Six," which at the time is considered to be the best class in women's NCAA history
2004-05 26-4 Two weeks after her first SEC tournament title in five years, Summitt can tie former North Carolina men's coach Dean Smith as the all-time winningest coach in college basketball history. Victory No. 879 would occur in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

TOTAL 878-171 (.837) Says Summitt: "I am thankful for the opportunity that the university provided me a long time ago. More importantly, (I appreciate) the commitment they made to women's basketball and the resources put in place to allow us to have a great staff. You win with dedicated, talented players who get the job done."
* Record broken Nov. 19, 1999, with 133-60 win over Tennessee-Martin

Stuff legends are made of

Some say the road to Pat Summitt's success all began more than 30 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.

Pat Summitt has guided Tennessee to six national championships.
Either way, Summitt ensured her legendary status in the 1990s, when she won four national championships, including a then-unprecedented three straight from 1996-98. Most recently, Summitt led the Lady Vols to their NCAA-record 15th Final Four, and the past two national championship games.

Summitt, who ranks second only to legendary UCLA coach Wooden for the most NCAA titles, has produced 14 30-plus win seasons and boasts an .837 winning percentage.

Here's a look at some of the bigger moments from the 52-year-old's career in Knoxville, Tenn., as she continues to close in on Dean Smith's NCAA record 879 career victories.

Jan. 10, 1975: Summitt wins her first game as a coach at the collegiate level, a 69-32 victory over Middle Tennessee State in Tennessee's Alumni Gym in front of 53 spectators. She's only 22.

Jan. 13, 1979: Summitt hits the century mark, winning her 100th game, a 79-66 victory over N.C. State.

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 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 the Summitt's third NCAA title, this time winning in New Orleans, La.

Nov. 21, 1993: Summitt's 500th coaching victory arrives with the Vols' 80-45 victory over Ohio State.

March 31, 1996: Lady Vols capture their fourth NCAA title, this time in Charlotte, N.C., with a 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 Cincinnatti, Ohio, for the program's fifth national championship.

Feb. 22, 1998: 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 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 unprecendented third consecutive conference tournament title and 10th overall.

March 31, 2000: The Lady Vols beat Rutgers 64-54 at Final Four to advance to NCAA-record ninth national championship game.

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 included 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 NCAA-record 13th Final Four appearance, surpassing 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 coach -- and female -- to reach the 800-win plateau. She also is the quickest to do so, needing 961 games. Adolph Rupp achieved 800 in 972 games; Dean Smith needed 1,029.

Feb. 29, 2004: With a 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.

BEST OF THE BEST

Pat Summitt's six NCAA titles ranks second only to John Wooden's 10 national championships at UCLA. Kentucky's Adolph Rupp is next in line with four titles.

But Summitt is tops when you're talking NCAA Tournament wins. Of the three NCAA champion coaches, Summitt's teams have played in and recorded the most tourney victories, winning 85 of 102 NCAA games. Wooden's Bruins won 47 of 57 NCAA contests. Rupp's Wildcats won 30 of 48.

Summitt also is the quickest coach to win 800 games, doing so in 961 games. Rupp achieved 800 wins in 972 games.

Former North Carolina men's coach Dean Smith, college basketball's all-time winningest college coach, retired with an 879-254 record in 36 seasons. He needed 1,029 games to reach the 800-win plateau.

Summitt produces great coaches, too

Pat Summitt not only turns out great players at Tennessee, she has also turned out some of the game's top coaches along the way. Here's a list of former players (P), graduate assistants (GA), assistants (A) and even managers (M) who have become coaches at the professional, college and high school levels.

A CRADLE OF COACHES
Name Pos/Yrs at UT Current/Last Position
Nancy Darsch A/GA (78-85) Asst. Minnesota Lynx; former head coach Washington and New York (WNBA); former head coach Ohio State
Tanya Haave P (80-84) Former head coach "Satilla" Skene, Sweeden; asst. Univ. of Colorado
Lisa Harrison P (89-93) Asst. Phoenix Mercury
Carolyn Peck A (93-95) Head coach Florida; former head coach Purdue; former head coach Orlando (WNBA)
Trish Roberts P (76-77) Former head coach Atlanta (ABL); former head coach Stony Brook; former head coach Michigan
Heidi VanDerveer GA (86-88) Former head coach Sacramento (WNBA); former head coach E. Washington
Jody Adams P (89-93) Assoc.Southern Illinois
Jane Albright GA (81-83) Head coach Wichita St.
Kathy Allen GA (02-04) Asst. UAB
Debbie Ayres GA (89-90) Asst. Stony Brook
Al Brown A (91-02) Asst. Michigan State
Greg Brown GA (02-03) Former asst. ennessee
Niya Butts P (96-00) Asst. Kentucky
Nikki Caldwell P (90-94) Asst. Tennessee
Daedra Charles P (89-91) Asst. Detroit Mercy
Sheila Collins P (89-91) Former head coach West Georgia College
Abby Conklin P (93-97) Former asst. UNC Asheville
Kelli Casteel Cook P (88-92) Former head coach Maryville College
Tony Cross GA (83-84) Head coach Belmont College
Mickie DeMoss A (85-03) Head coach Kentucky
Rochone Dilligard P (91-94) Former asst. at Austin Peay
Kyra Elzy P (96-01) Asst. Kansas
Sharon Fanning G (75-76) Head coach Mississippi State
Sheila Frost P (85-89) Former asst. Richmond
Bridgette Gordon P (85-89) Asst. Stetson
Sylvia Hatchell GA (74-75) Head coach North Carolina
Cindy Noble Hauserman P (78-81) Retired head coach Centre College
Dena Head P (88-92) Asst. Central Connecticut State
Lea Henry P (79-83) Head coach Georgia State
Marlene Jeter P (90-92) Former head coach Clinton (S.C.) JC
Dana Johnson P (91-95) Former asst. Morgan State
Kellie (Jolly) Harper P (95-99) Head coach Western Carolina
Nancy Bowman Ladd P (73-75) Retired head coach Univ. of the South
Angela Lawson GA (89-91) Head coach Univ. of Incarnate World
Cheryl Littlejohn P (83-87) Former head coach Chicago State, Minnesota
Michelle Marciniak P (93-96) Asst. South Carolina
Carla McGee P (86-90) Asst. Auburn
Calamity McEntire M (02-03) Asst. Fresno State
Matthew Mitchell GA (99-00) Asst. Kentucky
Zandra Montgomery Morris P (77-79) Former asst. Lee University
Mary Ostrowski P (80-84) Former asst. Ohio State
Semeka Randall (97-01) Asst. Michigan State
Joy Scruggs P (72-75) Head coach Emory & Henry College
Judy Southard GA (77-78) Retired head coach Marshall
Pam Tanner A/GA (90-93) Head coach Denver
Holly Warrick P (76-80) Asst. Tennessee
Janet Allmon GA (83-84) Former head coach Baldwin (Ga.) HS
Debbie Ayres GA (89-90) Former head coach California School for the Deaf
Diane Brady P (74-75) Former head coach McMinn (Colo.) HS
Cindy Brogdon P (77-79) Former head coach Centennial (Ga.) HS
Abby Conklin P (93-97) Former head coach Trinity (Ill.) HS
Debbie Groover Buckner P (77-81) Asst. head coach Woodstock (Ga.) HS
Shelley Sexton Collier P (83-87) Head coach Webb (Tenn.) HS
Karla Horton Douglas P (84-87) Asst. Webb (Tenn.) HS
Rochone Dilligard P (91-94) Head coach Lebanon (Tenn.) HS
Tonya Edwards P (86-90) Former head coach Northwestern (Mich.) HS
Sheila Frost P (85-89) Head coach Garrison Forest (Md.) HS
Cindy Noble Hauserman P (78-81) Head coach Chillicothe (Ohio) HS
Marlene Jeter P (90-92) Asst. Victory Christian (N.C.) HS
Dana Johnson P (91-95) Asst. Western (Md.) HS
Zandra Montgomery Morris P (77-79) Former head coach Cleveland (Tenn.) HS boys team
Jill Rankin Schnieder P (79-80) Head coach Montgomery (Texas) HS
Suzanna Barbre Singleton P (74-78) Former head coach Maryville (Tenn.) HS
Tiffany Woosley P (91-95) Former head coach Lincoln County (Tenn.) HS