Legendary Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt Dies at Age 64

Former Tennessee women's basketball head coach Pat Summitt died Tuesday, her son Tyler announced, per her foundation's website. She was 64.

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It is with tremendous sadness that I announce the passing of my mother, Patricia Sue Head Summitt. She died peacefully this morning at Sherrill Hill Senior Living in Knoxville surrounded by those who loved her most.

Since 2011, my mother has battled her toughest opponent, early onset dementia, 'Alzheimer's Type,' and she did so with bravely fierce determination just as she did with every opponent she ever faced. Even though it's incredibly difficult to come to terms that she is no longer with us, we can all find peace in knowing she no longer carries the heavy burden of this disease.

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Summitt was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2011. She retired from Tennessee in April 2012.

During her legendary run as Tennessee's head coach, dating back to 1974, she had a 1,098-208 record, winning 32 SEC championships and eight national championships with the Volunteers. She was named NCAA Coach of the Year seven times and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

She was the head coach of the gold-medal winning 1984 women's national team and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in April 2012 by U.S. President Barack Obama. And the court at Thompson-Boling Arena has been named "The Summitt" in her honor.

Her legacy stretched far beyond basketball, however, as she was also a pioneer for women in athletics. She helped eliminate the six-on-six rule in basketball for women in 1976, a style of play that had three players stationed on offense and three on defense because it had been deemed too taxing for women to play on the full court.

She was also a champion of Title IX, the "comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity," per Justice.gov. ESPN shared another impressive academic achievement of Summitt's that has been overseen:

CNN's Dianne Gallagher provided a statement from former Volunteer Peyton Manning, who discussed Summitt's influence on his career. Connecticut women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma also released a statement, courtesy of SportsCenter.

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Statement from Peyton Manning on the death of Tennessee & basketball #legend #PatSummitt pic.twitter.com/I7NQUvck3Z

— Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) June 28, 2016"

Few coaches in college history had Summitt's impact or legacy. She was one of the finest college coaches in any sport, and she helped usher in a new age of women's basketball. A number of her former players still compete in the WNBA, and the college game continues to grow and thrive due to her contributions to the sport over her 38-year career.