KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Once a Lady Vols head coach is now a legacy that lives on forever.
Pat Summitt became what we all know today as a powerhouse in 1974 when she stepped in as the Lady Vol’s head coach. After 38 seasons, Summitt has become one of the top most winningest college basketball coaches in American history for both men’s and women’s teams. She has amassed over 1,098 wins, 8 national championships, 16 SEC titles, and a 100 percent graduation rate for her student-athletes at the University of Tennessee.
Since passing in 2016 due to Alziemhers, her memory has become more than just a basketball coach.
These successes were not a secret as they were shared through her book, Reach for the Summit: The Definite Dozen System for Succeeding at Whatever You Do.
Now, the 12-step guide to success is helping many all over the country. Her values, morals, and beliefs have been reinvented through the Pat Summitt Leadership Group, part of the Southwestern Family of Companies.
Summitt’s only child, Tyler Summitt, had the best seat on the court throughout his mother’s career, and he is excited to share those memories that he holds onto the most.
“It’s always been the people for her, it wasn’t retiring with the most wins in college basketball history, it was just how proud she was of each individual. She loved winning and she knew if she surrounded herself with great people, everybody wins,” he says.
Tyler is helping to put her Definite Dozen into practice for sports teams, companies, and even individuals to grow in their personal and professional lives.
“In a changing world, whether it is Covid-19 or artifical intelligence, it is nice to have principles you can be grow in. That is what the Definite Dozen does,” he adds.
The Pat Summitt Leadership Group’s website has all the tools you will need to complete the Definite Dozen program.
These lessons on Summitt’s values include: Respecting yourself and others, Learning to be a great communicator, Making winning an attitude, and so much more.
Currently, Tyler lives in Ohio with his wife Brooke, and three children all under the age of five.
“We talk about coming down to Knoxville a lot,” he says. “My four-year-old has already seen the famous statute of my mom and always asks ‘Why is granny so tall?'”
He is eager to visit Knoxville soon and says until then, he is keeping his mother’s legacy alive every day in and out of his home. “I know she is smiling looking down from heaven,” he adds.
For more information on how you can get involved with the Pat Summitt Leadership Group and take part in this 12-step series, visit their website.
