The World Lost A Pair Of Legends

The sports world lost a pair of legends on Tuesday – former University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt and former NFL coach Buddy Ryan. Summitt, 64, died after a 5-year battle against early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Ryan, 85, had suffered from cancer.

Summitt made women’s basketball what it is today as she turned the Lady Vols into an early powerhouse. Eight national titles. A record 1,098 victories. An impeccable graduation rate of her players. And the establishment of a center to fight the disease that would take her life.

Ryan was the architect of the 1985 Chicago Bears’ ferocious defense. More successful as an assistant coach than a head coach, he had previously won a Super Bowl ring as defensive line coach for the New York Jets when they captured Super Bowl III. The Bears won Super Bowl XX.

Summitt seemed to know everything about her players. Ryan usually referred to his by their numbers. Summitt’s son followed her into coaching. So did Ryan’s sons – Rex is head coach of the Buffalo Bills and brother Rob is one of his assistants.

Summitt took 18 teams to the Final Four. Ryan redefined defensive play with his ‘46’ defense that terrorized quarterbacks and stifled offenses. They left indelible marks on their players. Summitt was often hoisted on the shoulders of her players; Ryan got that honor after Super Bowl XX and may well have been the only assistant coach in NFL history to get such a ride off the field.

They were bold and strong and firm in their convictions. They went about their business in very different ways – Summitt with endless demands for attention to detail, Ryan with bluster and an unmatched aggressive bent.

We extend sympathies to their families, their friends, their former players, and all who knew, admired and enjoyed their successes through the years.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman