KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Basketball coaching legend Pat Summitt is set to be enshrined in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, becoming the first woman to be inducted into the hall’s coaching category.
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced Monday that Summitt will be a member of the 2022 induction class alongside sporting greats like Michael Phelps, Billie Jean King, Mia Hamm and Michelle Kwan.
An induction ceremony will be held Friday, June 24 at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs.
Summitt, who passed away in 2016, was involved with the USA Basketball program for more than a decade from 1973 to 1984.
As a player, she co-captained the U.S. to a silver medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in the inaugural Olympic women’s tournament. She coached Team USA to a gold medal at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, becoming the first U.S. basketball Olympic medalist to lead the USA to Olympic gold as a head coach.
“Pat Summitt is extremely deserving of this honor as a pioneer in women’s basketball,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO. “Her commitment to USA Basketball was extraordinary, both as a coach and an athlete. Pat left an indelible mark on not only our game but all of sport.”
The U.S. had a record of 46-5 and won six gold medals, including two World Championships, with Summitt serving as an assistant or head coach. She compiled a 24-8 record with two gold medals and two silver medals during her playing career.
Summitt coached the Tennessee women’s basketball team from 1974 to 2012, winning eight national championships and never missing an NCAA Tournament in 38 years. She led the Lady Vols to 1,098 wins in her career, the most in Division I college basketball history — until the record was broken in 2020 by Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.
Summitt is already a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame.
FILE – Former Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt smiles as a banner is raised in her honor before the team’s NCAA college basketball game against Notre Dame in Knoxville, Tenn., Jan. 28, 2013. The Late Pat Summitt, Lindsey Vonn, Michelle Kwan, Mia Hamm and Billie Jean King are among the nine individual women who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File) 
FILE – Lindsey Vonn shows medals from her career as she holds a press conference after taking the bronze medal in the women’s downhill race, at the alpine ski World Championships in Are, Sweden, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. Lindsey Vonn, Michelle Kwan, Mia Hamm, Billie Jean King and the late Pat Summitt are among the nine individual women who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti, File) 
FILE – Former figure skater Michelle Kwan waves at an on-ice recognition for her World Figure Skating Hall of Fame induction at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012. Michelle Kwan, Lindsey Vonn, Mia Hamm, Billie Jean King and the late Pat Summitt are among the nine individual women who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer, along with Michael Phelps and hurdling legend Roger Kingdom. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File) 
FILE – Mia Hamm, of the United States Women’s National soccer team, celebrates a goal against Mexico during a game in Carson, Calif., Dec. 8, 2004. Mia Hamm, Lindsey Vonn, Michelle Kwan, Billie Jean King and the late Pat Summitt are among the nine individual women who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) 
FILE – Billie Jean King speaks at a Women’s History Month event honoring women athletes in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, Wednesday, March 9, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Billie Jean King, Lindsey Vonn, Michelle Kwan, Mia Hamm and the late Pat Summitt are among the nine individual women who will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame this summer. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
The 2022 class will be the first class to be inducted since 2019 and the 17th induction class all-time, bringing the total number of individuals and teams inducted to 168.
