SR97APR8

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending April 8, 2005

Senate Resolution 97 commending Patricia Sue Head Summitt, head women’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee, for three decades of excellence as a proven leader, motivated teacher and established companion.

BRIEF

With her 880^th career victory Ms. Summitt became the “winningest” NCAA coach ever.

The Tennessee women gave her her first victory in 1975 and from there it continued, all good: “She became the youngest coach in the nation to reach 300 wins (34 years old), 400 wins (37 years old), 500 wins (41 years old), 600 wins (44 years old), 700 wins (47 years old), and 800 wins (50 years old),” the Resolution reads.

Sponsor: Senator William H. Frist (R-TN)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent.

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.

MORE INFORMATION

S. Res. 97

Whereas Pat Summitt, in her 31st year as head coach of the Lady Volunteers (the ``Lady Vols''), has become the Nation's all-time winningest NCAA basketball coach (men's or women's) with her 880th career victory, surpassing the legendary coach Dean Smith of the University of North Carolina;

Whereas Pat Summitt, at the age of 22, took over the women's program at Tennessee in 1974, when there were no scholarships and she had to wash the uniforms and drive the team van;

Whereas Pat Summitt won her first game on January 10, 1975, and continued to win games as she became the youngest coach in the nation to reach 300 wins (34 years old), 400 wins (37 years old), 500 wins (41 years old), 600 wins (44 years old), 700 wins (47 years old), and 800 wins (50 years old);

Whereas Pat Summitt has coached the Lady Vols to 15 30-plus win seasons, including a perfect season of 39-0, 13 Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular-season titles, and 11 SEC tournament championships;

Whereas Pat Summitt has appeared in more NCAA tournament games (107), and has won more tournament games (89), than any other collegiate coach, including a record of 36-0 in the first two rounds, 16 NCAA Final Four appearances, and 6 NCAA Championship Titles, including the NCAA's first back-to-back-to-back women's titles in 1996, 1997, and 1998;

Whereas Pat Summitt played on the 1976 United States Olympic team and later

coached the United States women's basketball team to its first Olympic gold medal in 1984;

Whereas Pat Summitt has been named SEC coach of the year 6 times and national coach of the year by several associations, including the Sporting News Coach of the Year, the Naismith Coach of the Year, and the Associated Press Coach of the Year;

Whereas Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols were selected by ESPN as the ``Team of the Decade'' (1990s), sharing the honor with the Florida State University Seminole's football team, and Summitt became the first female coach to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated;

Whereas Pat Summitt was officially accepted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and was then inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame on October 13, 2000, as only the 4th women's basketball coach to earn Hall of Fame honors;

Whereas Pat Summitt's Lady Vols have a remarkable graduation rate, as each student-athlete who has completed her eligibility at Tennessee has received her degree or is in the process of completing all of the requirements; and

Whereas Pat Summitt has recently been honored by the University of Tennessee, as the court at Thompson-Boling Arena will be named ``The Summitt'': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate commends the University of Tennessee women's basketball coach, Patricia Sue Head Summitt, for three decades of excellence as a proven leader, motivated teacher, and established champion.

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