KNOXVILLE -- UT Lady Vols head basketball coach Pat Summitt issued a statement Tuesday afternoon about the racially insensitive comments Don Imus made about the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
"The inappropriate comments directed toward the student-athletes of Rutgers University were very disappointing," said Summitt in the statement. "Their head coach, C. Vivian Stringer, and I have been friends for a number of years, and I have tremendous respect for her and the great young women in her program. These student-athletes deserve a lot of credit for what they have accomplished, and it saddens me that they were treated with such disrespect.
"Never should there be a time when student-athletes are in a position to receive this kind of verbal abuse. I applaud Rutgers University, Coach Stringer and the Scarlet Knight student-athletes and the exemplary way they conducted themselves in their national press conference today. The University of Tennessee women's basketball program commends Rutgers' handling of this situation. It is emblematic of the outstanding caliber of student-athletes and coaches in women's collegiate basketball."
The Lady Vols beat Rutgers on April 3 in Cleveland to win the 2007 NCAA Championship.
Earlier Tuesday, members of the Rutgers team said they have agreed to meet with Imus to discuss his comments.
During a recent radio broadcast Imus called the Rutgers players "nappy-headed hos" while discussing the championship game.
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