🏆 Pat Summitt to Receive Prestigious WeCOACH 2024–25 Lifetime Achievement Award 🎉
In a heartfelt celebration of excellence, the legendary Pat Summitt, head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols from 1974 to 2012, has been named one of the five recipients of the WeCOACH Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Jostens for the 2024–25 season .
🌟 Honoring a Trailblazer
Announced on National Girls & Women in Sports Day, the award recognizes Summitt’s unparalleled coaching career and her profound impact on women’s sports. WeCOACH CEO Vanessa Fuchs praised the honorees for their “pioneering spirit and trailblazing leadership…a beacon of inspiration.”
Summitt’s career speaks for itself:
An astounding 1,098 career wins, making her the winningest coach in NCAA Division I history at the time of her retirement .
Eight NCAA championships, including dominant stretches from 1996–1998 and in 2007–2008 .
A perfect 100% graduation rate for student-athletes who completed their eligibility, and a legacy of leadership both on and off the court .
Honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, multiple NCAA Coach of the Year awards, and induction into both the Naismith and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fames .
🎓 Continuing a Legacy
Summitt’s influence stretched well beyond the hardwood. Even after her diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer’s, she championed the fight against the disease through the Pat Summitt Foundation, becoming a symbol of courage and resilience .
She stands alongside coaching greats like Tara VanDerveer and Muffet McGraw among award recipients whose combined achievements encompass over 200 years of coaching, 5,000 wins, and 50 championships .
🎖 Award Presentation
Summitt will receive her custom-designed award at the WeCOACH–NCAA Women Coaches Academy event in Denver on May 19 . Though she passed in 2016, this honor serves as a testament to her enduring impact—a light that continues to guide and inspire.
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Pat Summitt built not just champions, but a culture of tenacity, integrity, and empowerment. This Lifetime Achievement recognition cements her place—not only in the history of Tennessee athletics—but within the very fabric of sports leadership worldwide.
