It is no surprise that Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt has turned a personal crisis into a teaching moment.
When no. 6 Tennessee and no. 4 Stanford play the 29th edition of their storied rivalry Tuesday at Maples Pavilion, attention will turn to Alzheimer’s disease and Summitt’s shocking announcement in August.
“She has put a face on dementia,” Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick said Monday after practice.
The winningest coach in college basketball history has been nothing if not a teacher in the months since revealing that she suffers from early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type.
As one of the largest figures in women’s basketball, Summitt has a legacy that might now be tied to helping change perceptions of a disease that causes a slow decline of cognitive functions such as memory, thinking and behavior.
“I’m not going to hide anything,” she said last month at the Southeastern Conference media day. “Telling the truth is the right way to go, so I wasn’t going to cover anything up.”
It’s one reason the basketball community has rallied around a woman who has won an Olympic gold medal, eight NCAA championships and has a 1,078-201 record at Tennessee.
Stanford Hospital will show an educational video before the game, as well as staff an information booth on Alzheimer’s at the pavilion. the school will hand out red rally towels proclaiming, “We back Pat.”
Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer has arranged a video tribute to her longtime friend and to the rivalry that begin in 1988. the Lady Vols hold a 22-6 edge over Stanford.
“This is a tough time, but when that ball goes up, it doesn’t matter to me,” VanDerveer said of wanting to defeat Tennessee (7-2). “That’s what she wants, too. She’s not having a pity party for herself.”
It wouldn’t be Summitt’s style. for 38 years she has led the Lady Vols to unprecedented success. and while Summitt, 59, has delegated some duties to trusted assistants, she has remained along the Tennessee sideline.
Warlick said the situation works because of the dedication of fellow longtime assistants Mickie DeMoss and Dean Lockwood, as well as the players’ attitude. she runs the huddles and postgame news conferences while the other assistants have taken on great responsibilities in practice and recruiting because Summitt is no longer making trips to watch prospective players.
Summitt didn’t attend practice at Stanford on Monday, and she hasn’t granted many interviews this season. but her presence looms large. This month she was named Sports Illustrated’s sportswoman of the year and won women’s basketball’s Maggie Dixon Courage award.
Summitt once was all-encompassing on the court, preaching the values of basketball. Now the lessons involve a degenerative brain disease that afflicts millions.
Eric J. Hall, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, said Summitt’s disclosure will have a similar impact to President Reagan’s announcement of his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Alzheimer’s disease is the public health crisis of the 21st century, and a hero like Pat Summitt can open eyes,” he said. “People need to know that this disease does not discriminate, that it can strike both the well-known and your neighbor next door, younger Americans as well as older ones. only by talking openly about Alzheimer’s disease can we lift the veil off the fear and denial that continue to surround it.”
Everywhere Tennessee has played this season, it has felt like a farewell tour.
“She just has to peek her head out of the door, and everybody goes nuts,” said Warlick, Summitt’s assistant at Tennessee for 27 seasons.
Summitt has been surprised by the response because “she never wants it to be about her,” Warlick added. “She told us many times, ‘I’m tired of me.’ “
Members of her squad said Monday it’s about how they play. and those not playing well will hear about it. Preseason All-American Shekinna Stricklen said no one has escaped Summitt’s legendary wrath this season.
“That’s not going to change,” the 6-foot-2 senior said.
“She is still Pat Summitt,” added Auburn coach Nell Fortner, a close friend of Summitt’s. “I don’t think anybody would think anything different if you were around her. She’s still passionate about what she does.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, only 5 percent of those with symptoms of Alzheimer’s show signs of the disease before age 65. VanDerveer was among those who noticed something wrong with the Tennessee coach earlier this year. Summitt reportedly arrived late for some practices and sometimes hesitated before calling plays last season.
“Something doesn’t seem quite right,” recalled VanDerveer, who joined Summitt in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this summer. “I thought was she was dealing with arthritis.”
So did Summitt, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. At first she thought it might have something to do with her medication. but extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic revealed signs of Alzheimer’s.
“She felt she wasn’t on top of her game, and when she found out it was almost like a relief for her,” Warlick said. “When she made it public, that was a major burden off her shoulders.”
While Summitt hoped to return the focus to basketball, she now knows that won’t happen.
After helping turn women’s basketball into a popular pastime, Summitt couldn’t expect to fade into anonymity.
During Stanford’s trip to Knoxville, Tenn., last year, VanDerveer pulled Summitt aside.
“Pat, look at what you’ve built,” she told her friend of the atmosphere at Thompson-Boling Arena.
It’s something few basketball fans will forget.
Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.