Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt Diagnosed With Early Onset Dementia

Inspiration has not been a difficult thing for Pat Summitt to find — or to provide for others — in her 38 years as a basketball coach. Facing possibly the greatest test of her life, she could be poised to inspire people like never before.

Summitt, 59, the women's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee, has announced she has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. She disclosed the diagnosis Monday and planned to tell her players in a team meeting Tuesday afternoon, according to reports.

"There's not going to be any pity party and I'll make sure of that," she said, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports.

Summit said she plans to keep coaching and add to her 1,071 career coaching wins and eight national championships.