Pursuing degree in game at Summitt

Pam Owens' goal when she graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1989 was to coach college basketball someday.

But as the John Lennon song goes, life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans.

Sixteen years and an outstanding high school coaching career later, Owens finally is getting the opportunity she pursued with the drive that defines so much of her character.

Owens, who built a girls basketball power at Taft High School in only eight seasons, resigned Monday to take a job as a graduate assistant at Tennessee.

Her boss will be Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who is synonymous with women's basketball.

Summitt has seen a lot of coaches come and go in 31 seasons with the Lady Vols. But she's getting someone special in Owens, whose passion for basketball, particularly Tennessee basketball, is well known.

"I called her a Pat Summitt stalker because she went to all of her clinics," former coaching rival Tina Camacho said with a chuckle.

Owens, 39, makes no apologies for her unbridled enthusiasm.

"I'm going to go up there and be the best graduate assistant I can be," she said. "If you want to be a college coach, what better place to start than at Tennessee? I've always been a huge Pat Summitt fan. She's just awesome."

Summitt (882-172) passed North Carolina icon Dean Smith this year as college basketball's career leader in coaching victories.

Is it any wonder why Owens has taped every Tennessee game that's been on TV each of the past eight seasons?

If you're a student of the game, as Owens surely is, you want to learn from the master.

"She does things right," Owens said of Summitt. "She has a reputation as a hard, stern coach — and she is when that line is crossed. But off the court, she's a great person to be around."

Although she coached at Taft for less than a decade, Owens undoubtedly left her own mark on San Antonio girls basketball.

The Raiders always reflected their coach. They were fundamentally sound, disciplined, mentally tough and, above all, well prepared.

Owens' professionalism reflected her strong commitment to be a positive influence on the girls she coached.

The Raiders went 226-57 under Owens and advanced to the state tournament three of the past four seasons.

Not bad for someone who didn't think she would be a high school coach.

Owens planned to work as a graduate assistant after earning her degree, but she had to put her college career on hold to care for her maternal grandmother in San Antonio. Owens said the decision was a no-brainer, which reveals a lot about her character.

Owens was raised by Pearl Kempin, and she wasn't about to turn her back on her beloved grandma.

"She was always the major influence on my life," Owens said. "She taught me to work hard and treat people the right way. She told me to just be a good person and good things will happen."

Kempin died in 1997.

Owens joined Don Evans' staff at Judson in 1989, staying with him until becoming girls basketball coach at Bandera in 1995. She led the Bulldogs to the playoffs in her first year and was 38-22 in two seasons.

Owens moved to Taft in 1997 and began laying the foundation for one of the state's most consistent winners.

Evans, who coached Owens at Lee through her junior season, said he wasn't surprised when she went into coaching.

"Pam was always eager to learn about basketball and coaching, and always took every opportunity to do just that," Evans said. "I know that coaching in college has been her longtime dream. She will do well."

Agreed.

Owens has the right temperament to be an excellent college coach. A straight shooter with a down-home touch, she will make a good recruiter.

I will miss her intensity and passion for basketball.

Owens made San Antonio girls basketball better. That is the legacy she leaves.