Vols' Summitt has early onset dementia
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's Pat Summitt plans to coach "as long as the good Lord is willing" despite being diagnosed with early onset dementia.
In a statement from Summitt released by the university Tuesday, the Hall of Fame coach said she visited with doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., after the end of the 2010-11 season and was diagnosed with early onset dementia -- Alzheimer's type -- over the summer.
"I plan to continue to be your coach," Summitt, 59, said. "Obviously, I realize I may have some limitations with this condition since there will be some good days and some bad days."
Tennessee athletics director Joan Cronan said that Summitt first thought her symptoms were side effects from medicine she was taking to treat rheumatoid arthritis. She said Summitt appears to be feeling better after beginning to get treatment for the dementia condition and speaking publicly about it.
"She's ready to fight this and move on," Cronan said. "She had to come to grips with how she wanted to face it."
"Pat Summitt is our head coach and she will continue to be," Cronan continued. "She is an icon not only for women's basketball but for all of women's athletics. For Pat to stand up and share her health news is just a continuing example of her courage. Life is an unknown and none of us have a crystal ball. But I do have a record of knowing what Pat Summitt stands for: excellence, strength, honesty and courage."
As college basketball's winningest coach, Summitt has spent 37 seasons at Tennessee and has 1,071 career victories and eight national championships.
Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said in a statement he was shocked and saddened to hear the news.
"You don't necessarily associate dementia with people our age, so this announcement really put things in perspective," Auriemma said. "There is no doubt in my mind that Pat will take on this challenge as she has all others during her Hall of Fame career -- head on. I wish her all the best."
"It always seemed she had no vulnerability. She's the solid rock everyone looked up to," former Texas coach Jody Conradt said. "I'm very happy she's not going to walk off the court at this point. When you have made it your life, there needs to be transition."
