ESPN honors Pat Summitt during #WeBackPat Week

In support of We Back Pat Week – an initiative led by the SEC to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer’s disease – ESPN will televise more than 20 women’s basketball games as schools, coaches, athletes and beyond honor the legacy of the late Pat Summitt.

The legendary former University of Tennessee mentor, who died in June 2016 at the age of 64, is the winningest coach in NCAA history. This week, however, isn’t solely focused on the basketball side of things, but on the impact Summitt had on the lives of so many and how she decided to fight her battle publicly.

“We all know what Summitt has done as far as national championships, winningest coach and so on, but We Back Pat is more about celebrating the person she was,” said Pat Lowry, ESPN coordinating producer for women’s basketball. “Being able to celebrate the impact she had on the sport, but also the impact she had on human beings throughout her life is important.”

On ESPN platforms throughout the week, fans will see and hear inspirational stories and learn about the Pat Summitt Clinic that recently opened at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

“What stood out to me most were the stories from coaches she inspired,” Lowry said. “She mentored and helped coaches that she would end up coaching against. That speaks volumes to who she was, and how her legacy will live on through the lives she touched.”

The video above features several women’s basketball coaches sharing their thoughts on Summitt.

Jon McLeod and Anna Negron produced the video above.

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