NCAA Basketball

Pat Summitt Steps Down As Tennessee Head Coach

One of the most storied coaching careers in the history of any sport ended today (sort of), as legendary Tennessee women’s basetball coach Pat Summitt announced she would step down, with her role filled by Tennessee’s associate head coach, Holly Warlick. Summitt will remain with the program as a “coach emeritus,” but Summitt said she’s not yet certain aboutt he details of the position.

Summitt, of course, has been battling early-onset dementia (Alzheimer’s type) since her diagnosis was announced last August. She elected to remain on board as head coach, though she acknowledged she’d rely on her assistants (especially Warlick) more than ever. And as Tennessee had a typically fine year, reaching the Elite Eight, apparently Summitt has confidence in Warlick to officially transition to the top spot. Summitt said today:

“I feel like Holly’s been doing the bulk of it. She deserves to be the head coach.”

Summitt always projected an air of complete control over her program – intimidatingly so. And it worked. The freakishly good record speaks for itself: over 1,000 wins. Eight championships. 10 other Final Fours. If dementia – and the subsequent rransfer of more duties to Warlick – didn’t allow Summitt to coach like she had in the past, then this was the right time to step aside.

Even if it was the right decision, though – and again, the record shows Summitt’s had a career filled with good decisions – this story still, for lack of a better term, sucks. Summitt isn’t young (she turns 60 in June), but she’s relatively young for a head coaching career to end, and young to be dealing with the effects of Alzheimer’s. Given the circumstances, it was the right time to move on, but you can bet if not for those very circumstances, Summitt would still be coaching with no end in sight.

But Summitt herself said upon her diagnosis that there wouldn’t be any pity party, so there shouldn’t be now, either. She’s already accomplished more than most people ever will, and again, thanks to the head coach emeritus position, she’s not totally done:

It’s Summitt’s understanding that she still can attend practice and talk to the players. She also said that she can call recruits, which will be of paramount importance.

And if “it’s Summitt’s understanding” that she’ll be able to do something, Tennessee will let her do it. She’s earned the right as much as basically any coach who ever lived to go out on her terms, as much as she possibly can. Tennessee knows it – plus, having a living legend around can only be good for the program going forward. Still, it’s going to be strange for all of college basketball – especially Tennessee – not to see Summitt on the sidelines next year. We just hope Summitt finds as much success in her new role as she did in her old one.

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