Pat Summitt Steps Down as Coach of the Lady Vols

If there was a face of women's College Basketball and even a face of women's athletics, it was Pat Summitt. Her being the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers Basketball team has made her an iconic figure in college athletics and very well respected. Yesterday, however, was the end of an era for the sport and one of the greatest coaches of all time. After 38 seasons of coaching the Lady Vols, Pat Summitt stepped aside as head coach and took the title "head coach emeritus." The team will now be coached by her long time assistant, Holly Warlick.

The sports world knew this day was coming and regrettably sooner than it wanted it to be. Summitt last year revealed that she was struggling with early symptoms of dementia and ever since people around the organization knew it was just a matter of time before she would step down. She started coaching the team back in 1974 when she was just 22 years old. Over the next 38 years, she and the Lady Vols built a winning tradition that set a bar for all to see: 1098 victories, 8 national titles, 16 SEC titles along with 16 SEC Tournament titles.

Her time as head coach of the Lady Volunteers will always be remembered as one of the greatest coaching tenures in history. Pat Summitt will be remembered for running of the winningest programs ever, being one hell of a head coach, and being a pioneer of women's sports.