June 28, 2016
Vanderbilt mourns the passing of legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt. Below are statements from chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos, director of athletics David Williams, head coach Stephanie White, associate coach Carolyn Peck and deputy athletics director Candice Lee, a former Vanderbilt women’s basketball player.
NICHOLAS S. ZEPPOS, CHANCELLOR
“We offer our deepest condolences to the University of Tennessee family on the passing of Coach Pat Summitt. Tennessee has lost a remarkable leader. There are not enough superlatives to convey her greatness, her accomplishments and the impact she had not only on women’s basketball, but on college athletics nationally. Her legacy lives on in the outstanding student-athletes she taught, on and off the court, to accept nothing but the very best from themselves and from their teammates. She will be deeply missed.”
DAVID WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
“All of Commodore Nation is saddened by the loss of Pat Summitt. College athletics has lost one of its finest representatives. Coach Summitt’s high bar of excellence drove all of us to strive to be better in everything we did. Vanderbilt fans will remember many games with the Lady Vols; perhaps the 1993 game in Memorial Gymnasium between No. 1 rated Vanderbilt and No. 2 rated Tennessee that drew an overflow crowd sparked the public’s enthusiasm for the sport more than any game had to that point in time.
“She was a legend and will be missed by all who love athletics. Not only have we lost one of the greatest coaches and teachers, we have lost one of the classiest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Pat Summit made us all better.”
STEPHANIE WHITE, HEAD COACH
“I’m saddened to hear the news of Pat’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and the entire UT community. She’s an ambassador of leadership, strength and courage that transcends sport. Her legacy lives on in all of those she touched. I’m forever grateful for the impact she made on me in the short amount of time we spent together.”
CAROLYN PECK, ASSOCIATE COACH AND FORMER ASSISTANT UNDER COACH SUMMITT
“I, like so many others, love Pat. She would give her all to you. She taught us, you have to care about people before you can coach them. It’s more than just about the game. She has broken so many class ceilings for women, making sure the right things were done. Pat Summitt set the standard for women’s basketball, a standard I still refer to today! Because of Pat, women’s college basketball is where it is.”
CANDICE LEE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AND FORMER VANDERBILT WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER
“Whether you were on her team, played against her or admired her from afar, Coach Summitt’s passion motivated all of us to exceed beyond our limits. My teammates and I share wonderful memories of our college basketball experience that were greatly enhanced by the fierce respect and gratitude we had for Coach Summitt as pioneer and trailblazer.
“She was the epitome of class and a true champion in every sense of the word. This is a tremendous loss for college athletics but what will never be lost is her impact, which transcends sport.”
CHARLIE MATTOS, PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER
“Pat Summitt … the name conjures up so many stats, so many trophies, so many memories…as play-by-play voice of Vanderbilt women’s basketball for most of the last 23 years, I’ve sat courtside to many memorable ballgames. What I remember more than just the rare euphoria of beating a Pat Summitt coached team was the sheer excitement, the electricity that followed the coach and her team during their hey day. It truly was like the circus coming to town…so much so that their media guide one season reflected a Ringling Brothers like theme! If a team averaged 1,000 fans per game, they’d get 5,000 when the Lady Vols came to town. Ticket brokers would be outside Memorial and on West End. Several hundred fans would wait for the team at their bus after the game and dozens would hope for a photo or autograph when Pat finished her postgame radio chat with Mickey Dearstone. You couldn’t help but take it all in, even after a tough loss.
“I handled the PA duties for a Tennessee-North Carolina Elite 8 game at Memorial one year and the volume of that crowd and the passion still resonates today as Summit virtually willed her team to rally from 12 down with seven minutes to play to win that game and subsequently finish that season 37-0.”
