[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 6, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S3316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 97--COMMENDING PATRICIA SUE HEAD SUMMITT, HEAD 
  WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, FOR THREE 
   DECADES OF EXCELLENCE AS A PROVEN LEADER, MOTIVATED TEACHER, AND 
                          ESTABLISHED CHAMPION

  Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. Alexander) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 97

       Whereas Pat Summitt, in her 31st year as head coach of the 
     Lady Volunteers (the ``Lady Vols''), has become the Nation's 
     all-time winningest NCAA basketball coach (men's or women's) 
     with her 880th career victory, surpassing the legendary coach 
     Dean Smith of the University of North Carolina;
       Whereas Pat Summitt, at the age of 22, took over the 
     women's program at Tennessee in 1974, when there were no 
     scholarships and she had to wash the uniforms and drive the 
     team van;
       Whereas Pat Summitt won her first game on January 10, 1975, 
     and continued to win games as she became the youngest coach 
     in the nation to reach 300 wins (34 years old), 400 wins (37 
     years old), 500 wins (41 years old), 600 wins (44 years old), 
     700 wins (47 years old), and 800 wins (50 years old);
       Whereas Pat Summitt has coached the Lady Vols to 15 30-plus 
     win seasons, including a perfect season of 39-0, 13 
     Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular-season titles, and 11 
     SEC tournament championships;
       Whereas Pat Summitt has appeared in more NCAA tournament 
     games (107), and has won more tournament games (89), than any 
     other collegiate coach, including a record of 36-0 in the 
     first two rounds, 16 NCAA Final Four appearances, and 6 NCAA 
     Championship Titles, including the NCAA's first back-to-back-
     to-back women's titles in 1996, 1997, and 1998;
       Whereas Pat Summitt played on the 1976 United States 
     Olympic team and later coached the United States women's 
     basketball team to its first Olympic gold medal in 1984;
       Whereas Pat Summitt has been named SEC coach of the year 6 
     times and national coach of the year by several associations, 
     including the Sporting News Coach of the Year, the Naismith 
     Coach of the Year, and the Associated Press Coach of the 
     Year;
       Whereas Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols were selected by ESPN 
     as the ``Team of the Decade'' (1990s), sharing the honor with 
     the Florida State University Seminole's football team, and 
     Summitt became the first female coach to appear on the cover 
     of Sports Illustrated;
       Whereas Pat Summitt was officially accepted to the Women's 
     Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and was then inducted to the 
     Basketball Hall of Fame on October 13, 2000, as only the 4th 
     women's basketball coach to earn Hall of Fame honors;
       Whereas Pat Summitt's Lady Vols have a remarkable 
     graduation rate, as each student-athlete who has completed 
     her eligibility at Tennessee has received her degree or is in 
     the process of completing all of the requirements; and
       Whereas Pat Summitt has recently been honored by the 
     University of Tennessee, as the court at Thompson-Boling 
     Arena will be named ``The Summitt'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate commends the University of 
     Tennessee women's basketball coach, Patricia Sue Head 
     Summitt, for three decades of excellence as a proven leader, 
     motivated teacher, and established champion.

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