The lanky Tennessee farm girl they nicknamed "Bone" grew to heights that no one could have anticipated.  Patricia Sue Head Summitt Obituary 
 
 
 
 June 14, 1952 - June 28, 2016 
 
 June 14, 1952 - June 28, 2016 
 
 “You win in life with people.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 On Tuesday, June 28 2016, Pat passed away peacefully, following a courageous battle with early onset dementia, “Alzheimer’s Type.” This disease attacked a lifetime of precious memories, memories that she has now won back as she rests in her eternal home. Once those details are finalized, we will share them with you.Thank you.”The leadership of The Pat Summitt Foundation released the following statement on the passing of their founder, Pat Head Summitt, University of Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Emeritus.Coach Summitt served as The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Women’s Basketball Head Coach for 38 seasons and became the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history for men’s and women’s teams with 1098 wins, eight national championships and 32 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships.In August 2011, at the age of 59, she bravely announced her diagnosis of early-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type. Summitt, who coached the Lady Volunteers for 38 years, won 1,098 games and is the leader in all-time wins by a Division I college basketball coach — men's or women's. Along the way she had some great players and one particular look that at times took on a life of its own. "It just opened the doors for a lot of players that wanted to play basketball," Summitt said. Her work ethic, her dedication to the young women she coached, and her integrity in everything she did will never be equalled. In a 2009 interview with Time, Summitt said her teams didn't give that much thought. She founded The Pat Summitt Foundation, a fund of East Tennessee Foundation, in November 2011, with the mission of making a difference in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease by advancing research for a cure and providing education and caregiving services for patients and their families.James A. Haslam II, Advisory Board Chairman of The Pat Summitt Foundation stated, “On behalf of the Board, I want to express our deep sorrow to Pat’s family on her passing. For the next 38 years, the farm girl from Henrietta, Tenn. would impact the game of women’s basketball like no one in the history of the sport. Her foundation was also built upon love of her family and of her players, and love of the fundamentals of hard work which reflected her philosophy that ‘you win in life with people’.She was the fourth of five children – Tommy, Charles, Kenneth and Linda – born to Richard and Hazel Head on June 14, 1952, in Clarksville, Tenn. She worked hard to keep up with her three older brothers, who taught her the game of basketball – a game that would later become a passion and profession for her.After graduating from Cheatham County High in Ashland City in 1970, she went on to the University of Tennessee-Martin, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1974 and leading the women’s basketball team to two national championship tournaments. Details for the celebration of life will be shared at a later date.Memorial gifts may be made to The Pat Summitt Foundation by visiting www.patsummitt.org/donate 
 
 Tyler Summitt’s Statement on the passing of his mother, Pat Summitt 
 
 Statement from The Pat Summitt Foundation 
 
 Statement for Joan Cronan on Pat Summitt’s death 
 
 Statement from James A. Haslam II, Chairman of the Pat Summitt Foundation Board, on the passing of Pat Summitt 
 
 
 
 
 
 “It is with tremendous sadness that I announce the passing of my mother, Patricia Sue Head Summitt.She died peacefully this morning at Sherrill Hill Senior Living in Knoxville surrounded by those who loved her most.Since 2011, my mother has battled her toughest opponent, early onset dementia, ‘Alzheimer’s Type,’ and she did so with bravely fierce determination just as she did with every opponent she ever faced. As a player, she was a co-captain of the 1976 U.S. women’s team, earning the silver medal during the Olympic Games held in Montreal. Junior National and U.S. National teams to multiple championships and medals, culminating with a magical run as head coach of the 1984 U.S. Women’s Olympic team, leading them to the gold medal during the XXIII Olympiad in Los Angeles.Of all the records, awards, and stats, Pat would point to one number as the most significant in her career – 161. "No matter where I go, or who I talk to, when they ask what college I went to and I say 'University of Tennessee,' they always talk about Pat and the legacy." 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. After beating LSU on a buzzer-beater in the semis, Tennessee beat heavily favored Stanford, 64-48, in Summitt's 13th appearance in the NCAA title game. I ask that you respect the privacy of that time.We are in the process of finalizing the details of a public celebration of her life which will take place in one of her favorite places, Thompson-Boling Arena. Her teams appeared in 13 national championship games and are the only program to compete in every NCAA tournament since its inception in 1982. Jan. 13, 1979: Summitt hits the century mark, winning her 100th game, a 79-66 victory over NC State. She guided the Lady Vols to eight NCAA championships, 32 combined Southeastern Conference titles and became the winningest NCAA D-1 basketball coach of all time on March 22, 2005. Seasons 38 All-time record 1,098-208 (.841) vs. ranked opponents 440-168 (.724) NCAA tourney record 112-23 (.830) Final Fours 18 NCAA titles 8 SEC record 458-69 (.869) SEC championships 16 out of 32 SEC tourney titles 16 out of 32 SEC tourney games 69-17 (.795) 
 
 April 3, 2007: Twenty years after winning her first title (and nine years since her last), Summitt picks up championship No. Oct. 13, 2000: In a class that includes 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's last season as head coach, after her diagnosis, finished much as many seasons before had: with the Lady Vols deep into the NCAA tournament and conference tournament champions.
– Pat Summitt, whose work ethic (and famous intense stare) was born on her family's farm and propelled her to rack up more wins than any other basketball coach (men's or women's) in NCAA Division I history, died Tuesday at age 64, the AP reports. "It is with tremendous sadness that I announce the passing of my mother, Patricia Sue Head Summitt," her son, 25-year-old Tyler Summitt, announced on the Pat Summitt Foundation website. "She died peacefully [Tuesday morning] at Sherrill [Hills] Senior Living in Knoxville surrounded by those who loved her most." Summitt had to retire at age 59 due to early-onset Alzheimer's, the Washington Post reports, and Tyler Summitt notes that his mom fought the disease with "bravely fierce determination, just as she did with every opponent she ever faced." Pat Summitt was barely in her 20s when she started coaching the Tennessee Lady Vols, and over nearly four decades, she built up an astounding record. Under her direction, the Lady Vols took home eight national championships (only UCLA's John Wooden coached his team to more championship wins), per ESPN, and made it to the Final Four 22 times (18 times as an NCAA team), ABC News notes. She ended her coaching career with 1,098 wins under her belt when she retired in 2012, and she also coached the US women's basketball team to its first gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, NPR notes. "I grew up on a dairy farm," she told NPR in 2009. "Cows … don't take a day off. … [My father] demanded a lot from the five children, but in a good way. I don't think I would have this work ethic or this drive, or probably the stare."