New heights for Summitt
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Pat Summitt, with a withering glare and demanding standards, has made history by becoming the first to reach the unprecedented height of 1,000 career victories.
The Tennessee coach doubts she will be alone forever.
"People are saying that's a record that will never be broken, but I don't think so. Records are made to be broken," Summitt said after becoming the first Division I coach — man or woman — to win 1,000 career games with a 73-43 win over Georgia Thursday night.
"The fact that this program was the first to do it is a great source of pride for all of us, our administration, our coaches, all the players who have worn the Lady Vols' uniform."
Tennessee rewarded Summitt, 56, with a postgame party that featured a shower of confetti and streamers, jewelry to commemorate 1,000 along with a painting and even a $200,000 bonus. There's also a new contract bringing her pay up to $1.4 million this year and taking her through her 40th season in 2013-2014.
"We're living through an era that will probably never be witnessed again in college basketball," Tennessee men's athletic director Mike Hamilton said after awarding her the game ball. "Sometimes when you're in the middle of that, you don't stop to realize the significance. I'm just trying to take pause and think about it all."
Summitt had wanted to win 1,000 on her home court after No. 900 came on the road in Nashville in 2006. Her baby Vols (17-5, 6-2 Southeastern Conference), featuring seven freshmen, made it happen after blowing their first crack at 1,000 Monday night with an 80-70 loss at No. 2 Oklahoma.
"We realized this was coming all season," said freshman Kelley Cain. "She's Pat Summitt. Success comes with the name."
These Vols had Summitt joking that they might not be up to the task of winning the 17 games she needed to reach 1,000 this season. They are nothing like the squads that brought Summitt her seventh and eighth national championships the past two seasons.
With their second chance, the Vols took control of the game six minutes in and led by double digits to open the second half. That allowed the more than 16,000 fans to stand with about a minute left and start cheering for the coach, now in her 35th season.
Georgia coach Andy Landers, who has more wins against Summitt than any other coach, was among the first to congratulate her with a hug.
"You just don't see the bar go that high and stay that high very often in anything. Think about it a minute. They've been able to do that for 35 years. Holy cow," Landers said.
The number 1,000 is big enough that even Summitt, who has won at least 20 games in 32 consecutive seasons and 30 games in 18, was a bit stunned.
"It's a wow from the standpoint that I never ever imagined I would coach this long, nor did I ever envision this program winning 1,000 games. It certainly is a time for me to reflect and think about all those players who scored all those points," she said.
Summitt is not only the first to 1,000 Division I victories — she might be the only one for a long time. The only coaches with at least 900 wins are Bob Knight (902), the former men's coach at Indiana and Texas Tech currently working in TV, and retired Texas women's coach Jody Conradt (900).
"Everyone who has been involved in athletics knows every once in a while it may take a couple of generations you get to see something very unique and very special," said Billie Moore, who coached Summitt in the 1976 Olympics and was in the stands cheering her on. "It's probably not ever going to happen again, at least not in your lifetime. This is one of those moments."
