Summitt on the sidelines vs. Baylor, March 26, 2012
My tickets for the 2012 NCAA Women’s Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games were right across from the Tennessee bench. I finally had a chance to see coaching legend Pat Summitt on the court in person.
But during that first half against Kansas, when the Lady Vols fell behind, I took a couple more glances than usual at the sidelines. At the end of the game, after Tennessee had pulled it out, I had a sad realization.
Pat Summitt was not coaching that team.
Sure, she was watching attentively, was in the huddle during timeouts, but most of the time, it was assistant Holly Warlick who was getting animated, telling the players what to do, chewing out the ref. If you didn’t know who was who, Warlick was the coach, period. Summitt did much more sitting than standing.
Others noticed the same thing happening during the season.
The crowd gave Summitt a standing ovation before and after both games.
Summitt will still be with Tennessee, but as head coach emeritus (emerita?). It is the end of a long and important chapter in the history of college sports.