Aug. 23, 2011
Upon the sad news of Tennessee Head Coach Pat Summitt being diagnosed with early onset dementia, Vanderbilt Head Coach Melanie Balcomb issued the following statement in regards to her friend and competitor.
“My heart goes out to Pat and her family,” Balcomb said. “As a personal friend and competitor, I hope that Pat can coach as long as she wants to. She is the best I’ve ever coached against and I have so much respect for her.
“More than just being a great coach, Pat is a tremendous person. Because of her strong character, she has surrounded herself with a very talented and classy staff, and I know they will be able to continue the tradition for years to come. Pat is an icon in women’s basketball and has done so much for this sport. Our thoughts are with Pat and her family during such a trying time.”
Two fiercely competitive individuals, Balcomb and Summitt are close friends and have mutual respect for one another. In June, Balcomb spoke at a roast for Coach Summitt during her induction ceremonies at the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame.
Vanderbilt will play at Tennessee on Jan. 15 and at home against the Lady Vols on Feb. 9 this upcoming season.
