The importance of building relationships with members of the team and staff is just one of the things Lipscomb women’s basketball coach Greg Brown learned during his years coaching on the staff of legendary coach Pat Summitt.
Summitt, the long-time coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols and a pioneer in the world of women’s athletics died Tuesday after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was buried Thursday in a private ceremony in Clarksville, near where she grew up.
From 2002-2004, Brown was the assistant coach for the Lady Vols while the legendary Summitt was head coach. Brown got his start in coaching college basketball at the University of Tennessee, thanks to Summitt.
“I really appreciate her taking the chance on a young high school coach to join the staff,” Brown said. During the time they coached together, Brown and Summittdeveloped a close friendship, like many others Summitt came in contact with.
Brown reflected on this, stating that building relationships with others is what Summitt was best at. It’s something that he took away from the years of coaching with her and employs with his own team at Lipscomb.
Strengthening relationships with his players even off the court is something Brown said he strives to do.
“At the most, you’re going to play 40 games together, but you’re going to be together off the court the whole year,” Brown noted. “I think the first thing that you’ve got to understand is you’ve got to develop relationships. Before they’re going to trust you on the floor, they’ve got to be able to trust that you’re there for them.”
Not only does Brown have fond memories of coaching with Summitt, but he also recalled a time off the court that he thinks describes Summitt’s character and personality well.
“We were in Europe traveling with the team, and my son was four months old at the time, and he was just being a four-month-old — kind of cranky and ill, and she said, ‘give me that boy.’ Next thing you know, she’s got him up on her shoulder, and he’s calm and cool and happy as can be. She just turned and said, ‘well that’s how you do it.’
“It was her ability to lead — whether it was a four-month old, a 40 year old or a grandmother — she just had the ability to relate to people,” Brown said, adding, “That’s what I take away from her.” “Everyone was comfortable with her. Even though she was such an elite coach, and you may have felt intimidated by her, people felt comfortable with her, and they felt secure with her.”
Summit coached 38 seasons and recorded a remarkable overall record of 1,098-208 (.840). She took her team to 16 SEC regular season championships, 16 SEC tournament championships and eight national championships. She received eight SEC “Coach of the Year” awards. Brown said there were many factors that made her such an outstanding coach, for example, Summitt’s infamous “Definite Dozen,” a set of life rules Summitt established for herself and her team.
“Obviously education was important to her, as you can see with the 100% graduation rate; that’s another thing — just holding people accountable,” Brown noted. “She definitely pushed you outside of your comfort zone. She talked a lot about that — being uncomfortable and getting outside of ourselves. Team attitude was another thing. Not only did she talk about and write about these things, but she lived them. I think that’s the important thing — everything she talked, she modeled as well.”
Brown said that, in his own words, not only is Summitt’s legacy her unmatched drive and work ethic, incredible coaching statistics and the fact that she won an Olympic silver medal before her coaching days, but it’s her character, and how she would strive to make connections with people.
“She was tremendously loyal. People were loyal to her, but she was also loyal in return,” Brown said. “I think her legacy is all the people and all the relationships; that’s something she and Coach Meyers had in common. When I think of Coach Summitt, I think of all the people who have stories about her — the legacy she left behind is the memories with people.”
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics