On June 14, 1952, the Hall of Fame Coach and Olympic Gold medalist, Patricia Head Summitt was born to Richard and Hazel Head. Throughout her childhood her parents were known for their hard work and together built up a thousand-acre dairy and tobacco farm. Later on her father ran and owned a general and hardware store, feed mill, gas pump, and a laundry mat (Women’s College Basketball Bearer). The five children had many chores around the house and when they were completed Summitt and her three older brothers, Kenneth, Charles, and Tommy Head would climb the ladder to the hayloft and play a game of two-on-two (Pat Head Summitt Biography). Pat Summitt later described her childhood as, “All we did with our days was go to
school, go to our Methodist church and work the fields. We had to make up our own fun – what little my father permitted”(Women’s College Basketball Bearer).
In 1966 the Head family moved six miles to Henrietta, Tennessee so Summitt could play basketball in high school. Arriving as a freshman, no one in Cheatham County High School knew of her potential as a basketball player. The only people who had any idea she was so great was her family, but it was soon known around the county that she was better than most of the guys. “Pat could dribble circles around most of the guys, much less girls,” wrote Dan Morris, an old high school colleague, in a 2005 KnoxNews article. During her high school career she led the Cubettes to a regional tournament and was voted Most Popular by her fellow classmates her senior year. In the 1966 yearbook Pat Summitt was also voted Basketball Sweetheart of the Season among all the cheerleaders and beauty queens (Women’s College Basketball Bearer).
school, go to our Methodist church and work the fields. We had to make up our own fun – what little my father permitted”(Women’s College Basketball Bearer).
In 1966 the Head family moved six miles to Henrietta, Tennessee so Summitt could play basketball in high school. Arriving as a freshman, no one in Cheatham County High School knew of her potential as a basketball player. The only people who had any idea she was so great was her family, but it was soon known around the county that she was better than most of the guys. “Pat could dribble circles around most of the guys, much less girls,” wrote Dan Morris, an old high school colleague, in a 2005 KnoxNews article. During her high school career she led the Cubettes to a regional tournament and was voted Most Popular by her fellow classmates her senior year. In the 1966 yearbook Pat Summitt was also voted Basketball Sweetheart of the Season among all the cheerleaders and beauty queens (Women’s College Basketball Bearer).
After high school she went to college at Tennessee Martin where she led the Lady Pacers to a 64 and 29 record over her four years. As a student athlete she was an All American and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1974 (Pat Summitt). In the summer before her junior year she played for the US team in the World University Olympics, where she won a silver medal. Then four games into her senior season she tore her ACL, an injury that could end a player’s career at the time. The doctor told her that she would not be able to play again nixing her dreams of being a player on the first United States Women's Olympic Basketball team. With determination and strength she worked her knee back to 100 percent while coaching the Lady Vols in her first season and was able to compete in the 1975 Pan American Games. After winning a gold medal she was asked to be a part of the 1976 Olympic team and was named co-captain. The United States ended with a three and two record, losing to only Japan and the Soviet Union, to finish second in the tournament. After returning from the Montreal Olympics she went back to coaching at the University of Tennessee
(Pat Head Summitt Biography).
In 1980 Summitt and, the president of the Sevier County Bank,R.B. Summitt got married. Then ten years later their son Tyler was born. On September 21, 1990 while Summitt was on a recruiting trip in Pennsylvania she went into labor. She was on the plane back to Tennessee at the time and told the pilot not to land, because her son had to be born in Tennessee (Pat Summitt). During this time she was coaching the Lady Volunteers, there is more information about that time in her coaching career on the next page.
(Pat Head Summitt Biography).
In 1980 Summitt and, the president of the Sevier County Bank,R.B. Summitt got married. Then ten years later their son Tyler was born. On September 21, 1990 while Summitt was on a recruiting trip in Pennsylvania she went into labor. She was on the plane back to Tennessee at the time and told the pilot not to land, because her son had to be born in Tennessee (Pat Summitt). During this time she was coaching the Lady Volunteers, there is more information about that time in her coaching career on the next page.