The first time Calamity McEntire met legendary Tennessee women's basketball head coach Pat Summitt, she expected to interact with a woman who was very tough and stern. That was how Summitt appeared on TV, after all.
Instead, McEntire met a very warm, kind, and welcoming Pat Summitt, who eventually gave the current Illini associate head coach the opportunity to learn from one of the greatest coaches the sport has ever seen. The rest is history.
"It's one thing to see her on TV and see that competitive side, and it's another thing to meet her in person and see that kindness and big smile," McEntire said. "Both of those sides of her, I carry on with me every day."
Summitt – a five-time Naismith Coach of the Year, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, a Women's Basketball Hall of Famer, an eight-time NCAA champion, an Olympic gold medalist, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and the third-winningest coach in NCAA women's basketball history – passed away in 2016 at the age of 64 after a lengthy battle with early onset dementia and Alzheimer's.Â
The Pat Summitt Foundation and the "We Back Pat" campaign were launched in her honor, and the Illinois women's basketball team will hold its annual "We Back Pat" contest on Wednesday, Jan. 17, against Rutgers.
"I love that we're able to have a 'We Back Pat' game where we can celebrate her, the legacy that the late Pat Summitt left for us, and the impact that she made on women's basketball," McEntire said. "It also gives us an opportunity to show that we stand with her and her fight of early onset dementia and Alzheimer's, as well as those who are currently fighting. It gives us an opportunity to raise some money for research and awareness and, hopefully, we can continue to help people who are fighting that battle right now."
The game means a lot to McEntire, who served as a manager under Summitt at Tennessee from 2001-2003. Looking to get into coaching after playing basketball at Eastern Oklahoma State for two seasons, McEntire made a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, to take a look at the campus and see the athletic facilities.
Given the opportunity to go down to the court and watch workouts, McEntire expressed interest in joining the Lady Vol family in whatever capacity they would take her in hopes to be a coach one day. Though there was not a position open at the time, McEntire sent in her resume and letters of recommendation just in case something came up.
That decision paid off almost instantly. A couple months after her first meeting with Summitt and stepping on campus for the first time, McEntire received the chance to work a youth summer camp. Once camp ended, she was able to earn a spot as a student manager with the team.
"Whenever I said I knew I wanted to coach," McEntire said, "my family thought it was a good idea for me to go learn from the best."
From Summitt's family-oriented culture to her love for the game and attention to detail, McEntire credits Summitt for being one of her biggest influences over the course of her coaching career. The first stop en route to a long road to the Illinois women's basketball coaching staff, Tennessee and the Lady Vol program will forever be a big piece of McEntire's identity, both on and off the court.
Since leaving Knoxville, McEntire has made stops at Fresno State, UC Santa Barbara, Boise State, Arizona, Hawai'i, Dayton, Texas, and now Illinois. Working all across the country in her nearly two decades of coaching at the Division-I level, McEntire says Summitt's impact on the sport and on college basketball is immeasurable.
"Coach Summitt was a great teacher of the game of basketball," McEntire said. "She just raised the bar in women's basketball, and that's something that I respect and appreciate about her.Â
"Outside of the game, she created a lot of opportunities for women in general. She pushed the envelope when it came to Title IX issues and women's rights, not just for women's basketball but other sports as well. I just have a high appreciation for her not just wanting that for her team, but for women and women's sports in general."
Fighting Illini fans can support the "We Back Pat" campaign by purchasing tickets to and attending Wednesday's game, which will take place at 6 p.m. CT at State Farm Center, or by donating to the Pat Summitt Foundation at PatSummitt.org.
There will never be another woman and coach like Pat Summitt, but Calamity McEntire is doing her best to make her former colleague proud by carrying on Summitt's legacy every time she steps foot on the court.
"The one thing that Coach Summitt was really about was family, and that's one thing that her and Coach Green have in common. It's a family atmosphere every single day," McEntire said. "I got to learn that at a very young age with Coach Summitt, and I think that's what has drawn me to Coach Green's program. It has that same family feel, and we hope to build that same Illini family in women's basketball for generations to come.
"It's really important for me to know that I'm still continuing to carry on the legacy that she built: giving other women opportunities, taking a stance when something isn't right, and being able to speak up in some uncomfortable times where what's right is right. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her."
