A Sad Day

...for the Volunteer Nation. Pat Summit, legendary coach for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, has officially retired.  Even so, we can't seem to totally let her go...the university has named her Coach Emeritus. Don't get me wrong, given her health issues, it's the right thing to do and the right time to do it. Still, it's hard to grasp that she won't be standing on the sidelines next fall. She has been an inspiration to thousands.

I just read that President Obama has nominated her to receive the Presidential "Medal of Freedom". The Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. Good for him and good for her, I believe she deserves it!

Dan Donovan, creative director at a New York ad agency , a fan, perhaps put it best...

I’m nobody significant. I have almost no Twitter followers. I don’t blog. I’m just a guy raised by good parents who believed in and appreciated the good that people do. My Dad died when I was a kid and my Mom was never a basketball fan, but at some point in my life I learned about Pat Summit. I followed her on ESPN. I read the articles about her and her teams, and I’ve developed a long appreciation for what she has accomplished. I never hung her poster on my wall as a kid, but I was a fan. I am a fan. I have been blown away by the way she has built remarkable teams and helped produce even more remarkable women.

I’m going to be a father in 3 months. We’re having a girl. And like many parents, I’ve allowed myself to dream about my little girl one day becoming a great scholar, or athlete or contributor to society. But as I watch Coach Summit leave (and I completely understand why), I can’t help but think that all I really want is for my daughter to one day learn from a woman like her. A woman who won against odds, lost gracefully and made being great and being modest at the same time seem not only possible but reasonable.

I know Coach Summit will go on. This is not a eulogy. This is a thank you note. And a promise that even the young girls who grow up miles away from her legacy will always know her name, and more importantly, her story.

Good luck, Coach

 As one would expect, there will be continuity in the change. Holly Warlick, a three-time all-American and former Tennessee point guard, who has been a member of the coaching staff for all eight NCAA championships won under Summitt will assume the duties as Head Coach. Good Luck Holly...