When Pat Summitt was just starting her coaching career back in the 1970s, she looked up to other female coaches such as Billie Moore, Sue Gunter and Jody Conradt.

	Pat Summitt, 796-156 in 29 seasons, could win her 800th game as early as Jan. 7.

On Saturday, Summitt will share the sideline with one of her mentors as her Tennessee Lady Vols take on Conradt's Texas Longhorns in Austin, Texas (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

The matchup is nothing new; Tennessee and Texas have met 23 times, with the Lady Vols holding a 15-8 advantage. But as these two coaches -- the winningest in women's NCAA basketball history -- each approach their 800th victory, the rivalry gets more and more special. And while both teams are ranked -- Tennessee is fourth in both polls while Texas is 21st in the ESPN/USA Today rankings and 22nd in the AP Top 25 -- the coaching duel might steal the show.

Conradt and Summitt are simply two of the best out there and have helped bring the sport into the 21st century. Their thumbprints are everywhere in this game, from the dozens of All-Americans each program has produced to their combined seven NCAA Tournament titles, two perfect seasons (Texas in 1986 and Tennessee in '98) and 15 Final Four appearances.

Conradt and Summitt are very similar coaches. They are both great teachers of the game, and great tacticians who are very detail-oriented and break down the game the same way. They also are great game coaches and great bench coaches who can change things on the fly if needed.

But their willingness to change and evolve with the game and ability to sustain their programs' high level are perhaps their most impressive coaching traits.

At one time, every coach wanted to be Jody Conradt. She had a stronghold on recruits from the state of Texas, put together the first undefeated season in women's NCAA history and a 183-game winning streak in Southwest Conference play, one of the most incredible streaks I've ever seen in sports.

	In her 34th season of coaching, Texas' Jody Conradt boasts a 793-260 coaching record.

Conradt and Texas also have been known as a guard factory, producing some of the greatest guards in the game, from Edna Campbell to Kamie Ethridge to Deb Williams.

Over time, things began to even out in the Big 12 as other programs improved, but year in and year out, even when Conradt was juggling administrative duties with her coaching responsibilities, she has been able to keep Texas near the top. And in recent years especially, she has renewed the Longhorns' national prominence.

While Conradt's coaching style has changed in subtle ways over the years -- most notably on the defensive end -- Summitt's strategies have been more obvious. When she first started out, Summitt was a blue-collar type coach who liked to bang it inside and play in-your-face, man-to-man defense. Early on, many of Tennessee's All-Americans were post players.

But over the years, Summitt has learned to change with the times, be flexible and adapt to her talent and personnel. Now, she has opened herself up to a running game and to changing defenses, even using a zone occasionally, something she never would have done a dozen years ago.

For as good a player as Summitt was, it's no wonder she has become an even better coach. She has had some incredible people and some of the greatest minds in the game to learn from, from Moore to John Wooden.

In the end, there aren't many programs that have sustained as high a level as Texas and Tennessee have over the past three decades. And there are even fewer that have stood the test of time with the same coach they had back in the AIAW days.

But Texas and Tennessee, and Conradt and Summitt, are forever linked by history. Saturday's game will just be the next chapter.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.