III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 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 champion. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 6, 2005 

Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. ALEXANDER) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

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 champion. 

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; 
2 

•SRES 97 ATS

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; 
3 

•SRES 97 ATS

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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate commends the University 

2 of Tennessee women’s basketball coach, Patricia Sue Head 

3 Summitt, for three decades of excellence as a proven lead4 er, motivated teacher, and established champion. 

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