{"id":122657,"date":"2025-08-06T04:09:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T04:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/122657\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T04:09:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T04:09:08","slug":"when-ncaa-legend-pat-summitt-refused-to-hand-her-son-a-spot-and-inspired-a-life-changing-work-ethic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/122657\/","title":{"rendered":"When NCAA Legend Pat Summitt Refused to Hand Her Son a Spot and Inspired a Life-Changing Work Ethic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Tennessee Volunteers coach Pat Summitt once told a story of her son, Tyler, that inspired a life-changing work ethic. In a video posted by @TheCoachJournal on X\/Twitter back in Jul. 2023, the beloved legendary tactician was shown to be interviewed<\/a>, in which she said a story wherein her son, Tyler, was cut from the Volunteers\u2019 men\u2019s basketball team and she taught him a valuable lesson.<\/p>\n

Summitt has since passed away in June of 2016, but is widely-regarded as one of the greatest women\u2019s college basketball coaches of all time. With this, her stature in the collegiate scene was not overlooked when Tyler Summitt sought her advice during his downfall at the start of his playing career.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aI walk in the room and I said, \u2018Tyler, what? What\u2019s wrong with you? And he goes, \u2018I got cut.\u2019 Well, my first thought is what coach in East Tennessee would cut my son? I mean, think about it. You know, put him at the end of the bench, but give him a uniform. And then I guess, the coach came out in me, and I looked at Tyler, and I said, he had a basketball under each arm. He was crying so hard,\u201d Pat Summitt detailed.<\/p>\n

The video then turns to Tyler Summitt, who shared what he responded to his mother with.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd she goes, \u2018Well, do you think you worked hard enough?,\u2019 And I knew I didn\u2019t. And I said, \u2018No.\u2019 And she said, \u2018Well, now you know what you got to do,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

\n

Crying he said, \u201cMom, I got cut.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pat Summitt\u2019s son was heartbroken, she was upset, but\u2026<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t blame the coach. She didn\u2019t complain to the admin. She said, \u201cSon, you didn\u2019t work hard enough. I guarantee if you wear out both of those basketballs, you\u2019ll make the team.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/4tuk7tIS6f<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Coaches\u2019 Journal (@TheCoachJournal) July 6, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The clip then goes back and forth of Pat Summitt during the interview as well as a speech she was making in a classroom, both of which align clearly with the story she was telling.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I looked at him and I said, \u2018Tyler, you didn\u2019t work hard enough to make that team, did you? Did you?,\u2019 He goes, \u2018No, ma\u2019am.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Well, I guarantee you, you wear out both those basketballs.\u2019 I mean, he had \u2019em cup right up under his arms. I said, \u2018I will guarantee you, you\u2019ll make the team.\u2019 And he goes, \u2018Mom, will you help me? I said, \u2018Son, I will help you, but I will not start your engine. You must start your engine every day,\u201d Pat Summitt said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you understand that?,\u2019 And he goes, \u2018Yes, ma\u2019am,’\u201d she concluded.<\/p>\n

The video then pans back to Tyler Summitt, in which he reiterates his mother\u2019s teaching for him from his point of view.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, every day, you know, that I wanted her to help me out, I would have to go to her. It wouldn\u2019t be her pushing me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tyler Summitt went on to play college basketball for two seasons for the Volunteers\u2019 men\u2019s basketball squad for two seasons from 2010 to 2012, before having a four-year coaching career from 2012 to 2016 as an assistant for the Marquette Golden Eagles and as the head coach of the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters.<\/p>\n

Pat Summitt won eight national championships with the Tennessee Volunteers<\/p>\n

Before she passed away in 2016 and officially retired in 2012, Pat Summitt won eight national championships in her time as the head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers. She had a lengthy 38-year tenure with the program from 1974-2012, in which her last national title came in 2008 when they defeated the Stanford Cardinal by 16 points, 64-48. This was the last time the team had won the national title since then.<\/p>\n

College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in\u00a0college football<\/a>,\u00a0men\u2019s college basketball<\/a>,\u00a0women\u2019s college basketball<\/a>, and\u00a0college baseball<\/a>!<\/p>\n