Gators coach Amanda Butler is concerned for Summitt, but she expects same competitor
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 | Men's Basketball, Scott Carter
The news on Tuesday afternoon that Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt was recently diagnosed with early onset dementia sent shockwaves across Twitter and the college basketball world.
Summitt is a living legend in her sport, leading the Lady Vols to eight national championships and establishing a level of success only Connecticut has come close to matching.
Gators coach Amanda Butler understands the outpouring of support for Summitt on a personal level. Butler grew up in the heart of Volunteer country in Mt. Juliet, Tenn.
She now considers the 59-year-old Summitt a friend and professional colleague after facing her regularly the past four years as Florida's head coach.
Butler released the following statement on Tuesday afternoon:
“To say that I was shocked or upset when I learned of Pat Summitt's condition is an understatement. Once you get past that initial shock of hearing such troubling news, then you think about the person and you think about the challenge that's ahead of them and what they've already been dealing with.
“I think that toughness is a word that is synonymous with Pat Summitt. She's an example of toughness and an example of class, handling adversity and leading. We will continue to see all of those characteristics and even more in her personality in the way she'll coach her team and the way that her team will continue to compete. It's easy to get caught up in wins and losses and the number of championships an individual has won. Something like this reminds us of the human aspect of people who are competing and Coach is the best.
“When you're a basketball fan, or a person who played basketball or someone who hopes to coach basketball and you are from the state of Tennessee, you know who Pat Summitt is. You've followed her career. You've learned from her. You've had books signed by her. You've sat and listened to her as many times as you possibly can. It feels personal to everyone, though. Pat is a powerful figure in Tennessee, but what she's done on a national level to gain notoriety for the sport is amazing.”
Florida's 2011-12 schedule was released on Tuesday, and the Gators close the regular season on Feb. 26 in Knoxville against Summitt's Lady Volunteers.
