No women's college basketball coach has more wins than Pat Summitt. For that matter, no coach in college basketball history -- including men's hoops -- will have won more games if Summitt and Tennessee have their way Sunday against Western Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Summitt can tie Dean Smith's record-879 victories with a win Sunday, and break the mark Tuesday in a potential second-round match against either New Mexico or Purdue. Summitt's Lady Vols have never lost in the first two rounds, where they're a combined 34-0.
In 31 seasons, Summitt has guided the Lady Vols to six NCAA championships, 24 SEC regular-season and conference touranment titles, and 14 seasons with at least 30 wins, while producing 18 Kodak All-Americans and 12 Olympians.
And every season, beginning with Summitt's first in 1974 when she was just 22, has produced something special and significant. Not many résumés can stand up to the Tennessee coach's lengthy list of accolades, and it's no wonder they call her the Wizard of Knoxville.
| SUMMITT'S COACHING RÉSUMÉ |
| SEASON |
RECORD |
HIGHLIGHTS |
|
1974-75
|
16-8
|
Wins 67 percent of games and posts winning record in first year as 22-year-old head coach
|
|
1975-76
|
16-11
|
Earns first AIAW Regional berth
|
|
1976-77
|
28-5
|
Beat Delta State, three-time AIAW champion, by 20 in front of a then-record 6,000 fans; first No. 1 ranking (AIAW poll)
|
|
1977-78
|
27-4
|
Beat Delta State, three-time AIAW champion, by 20 in front of a then-record 6,000 fans; first No. 1 ranking (AIAW poll)
|
|
1978-79
|
30-9
|
Wins 100th game with a 79-66 win over N.C. State on Jan. 13; reaches AIAW Final Four
|
|
1979-80
|
33-5
|
Wins inaugural SEC Tournament; AIAW runner-up, losing to Old Dominion
|
|
1980-81
|
25-6
|
Goes 3-0 against ODU; places second at third straight AIAW Final Four
|
|
1981-82
|
22-10
|
Invited to first-ever NCAA Tournament, where Vols go 3-1 before losing in Final Four
|
|
1982-83
|
25-8
|
Despite being riddled with injury, Vols reach Tournament and Summitt wins 200th game
|
|
1983-84
|
22-10
|
Lady Vols reach first NCAA title game despite 6-4 start
|
|
1984-85
|
28-5
|
Lady Vols earn fourth consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament
|
|
1985-86
|
24-10
|
Set single-game record* for most points in 130-38 win; Vols return to Final Four as Mickie DeMoss, Holly Warlick join coaching staff
|
|
1986-87
|
28-6
|
Lady Vols win their first NCAA title, picking up Summitt's 300th win along the way
|
|
1987-88
|
31-3
|
Reach second straight NCAA title game while making third consecutive Final Four appearance
|
|
1988-89
|
35-2
|
Lady Vols win their second NCAA title, beating every Tournament opponent by at least 12 points
|
|
1989-90
|
27-6
|
Wins 400th game as Lady Vols beat South Carolina 70-69 on Jan. 25
|
|
1990-91
|
30-5
|
Vols win their third NCAA title, beating Virginia 70-67 in first overtime championship game
|
|
1991-92
|
28-3
|
SEC regular-season title slips away, but Vols claim fifth SEC Tournament title
|
|
1992-93
|
29-3
|
Beat defending NCAA champ Stanford twice; Vols go undefeated against SEC teams during regular season for the first time
|
|
1993-94
|
31-2
|
Wins 500th game with 80-45 victory over Ohio State on Nov. 21
|
|
1994-95
|
34-3
|
Vols reach their fifth NCAA title game; in November, Summitt signs Chamique Holdsclaw
|
|
1995-96
|
32-4
|
With freshman Holdsclaw, Lady Vols win their fourth NCAA title
|
|
1996-97
|
29-10
|
Become second team in NCAA history to win back-to-back national titles -- and with more losses than any previous champ
|
|
1997-98
|
39-0
|
Lady Vols cap undefeated season with unprecedented third straight NCAA title
|
|
1998-99
|
31-3
|
Duke denies fourpeat, but Vols draw NCAA-record 413,580 fans; Meeks become first trio from one team named to Kodak All-America team
|
|
1999-00
|
31-3
|
Summitt, the Naismith Coach of the Century, gets win No. 700 on Dec. 5 (85-62 over Wisconsin); reaches NCAA title game; ESPY's co-winner of The Collegiate Team of the Decade
|
|
2000-01
|
31-3
|
Program-record nine players earn Dean's List honors for fall semester; senior class graduates with 134-10 record and four straight 30-win seasons; in win over Illinois on Nov. 25, 2000, Michelle Snow dunks
|
|
2001-02
|
29-5
|
Tennessee reaches national semifinals as Summitt surpasses John Wooden with her NCAA-record 13th Final Four appearance
|
|
2002-03
|
33-5
|
With win over DePaul, Summitt becomes first women's coach -- and first female -- to reach 800-win plateau, doing so in 961 games. Adolph Rupp achieved 800 in 972 games; Dean Smith needed 1,029
|
|
2003-04
|
31-4
|
Reaches NCA title game for second straight year, and Final Four for NCAA-record 15th time; Summitt also signs the "Super Six," which at the time is considered to be the best class in women's NCAA history
|
|
2004-05
|
26-4
|
Two weeks after her first SEC tournament title in five years, Summitt can tie former North Carolina men's coach Dean Smith as the all-time winningest coach in college basketball history. Victory No. 879 would occur in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
|
|
TOTAL
|
878-171 (.837)
|
Says Summitt: "I am thankful for the opportunity that the university provided me a long time ago. More importantly, (I appreciate) the commitment they made to women's basketball and the resources put in place to allow us to have a great staff. You win with dedicated, talented players who get the job done."
|
|
* Record broken Nov. 19, 1999, with 133-60 win over Tennessee-Martin
|
