Legendary Lady Vols Coach Pat Summitt Forced Out of Her Job?

Legendary Lady Vols Coach Pat Summitt Forced Out of Her Job?

Though Pat Summitt insisted it was her decision to quit from the program she built into a national power, new evidences have surfaced suggesting that the legendary Lady Vols coach may have been forced into retiring.

In a signed affidavit that's part of a lawsuit filed against the University of Tennessee by former Lady Vols media director Debby Jennings, Summit revealed athletic director Dave Hart forced her to resign due to her early-onset dementia. Summitt said she and Hart met one-on-one on March 14 just before the Lady Vols left for Chicago to begin NCAA tournament play.

"Dave Hart told me I would still have an office in Thompson-Boling Arena and my title could be Head Coach Emeritus. This was very surprising to me and very hurtful as that was a decision I would have liked to make on my own at the end of the season after consulting with my family, doctors, colleagues and friends and not to be told this by Mr. Hart. I felt this was wrong."

The sworn affidavit from Summitt was notarized in August, but it now surfaced in the open because Jennings filed her lawsuit. In her affidavit, Summitt said Hart met with her again after the March 14 meeting and told her she misinterpreted what he said.

Whether or not Hart actually coerced Summitt into retiring, the fact is one of the greatest coaches in basketball history appears to believe she did not get to retire on her own terms. Considering everything Summitt has done for Tennessee and for women's basketball, she deserves better.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Sunday October 07 2012, 12:55 PM EST. Ref: Google. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0