As if the UT athletic program needs another kick ......

[gatorhart]

Their most celebrated program...."womens BB" has yet another revelation:

Ol spanky was at it again.........you know your desperate when you hire this putz! But he probably works for very little.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Pat Summitt said in an affidavit that she initially felt she was being forced to step down as the Lady Vols' basketball coach by Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart, who later told Summitt that she had misinterpreted his comments.

The signed affidavit was part of a lawsuit filed against the University of Tennessee by former Lady Vols media director Debby Jennings. In it, Summitt said Hart told her at a March 14 meeting prior to the NCAA tournament that she would have to step down at the end of the season. Summitt had revealed before the season that she was battling early-onset dementia.



“
This was very surprising to me and very hurtful, as that was a decision I would have liked to have made on my own at the end of the season after consulting with my doctors, colleagues and friends and not be told this by Mr. Hart. I felt this was wrong.
” -- Ex-Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, on departure from team in affidavit against former Lady Vols media director Debby Jennings

"This was very surprising to me and very hurtful, as that was a decision I would have liked to have made on my own at the end of the season after consulting with my doctors, colleagues and friends and not be told this by Mr. Hart," Summitt said in the affidavit. "I felt this was wrong."

Summitt went on to say in the affidavit that Hart later told her that she had misinterpreted what he had said. The affidavit is included in an amended complaint filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Jennings' lawsuit alleges that age and sex discrimination led to her forced retirement from the school where she had worked for 35 years.

Tennessee officials had no immediate response to the amended complaint. Summitt's son, Tyler Summitt, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press Wednesday that, "We are not going to comment right now on this matter."

Summitt, whose 1,098 career wins are the most in NCAA men's or women's basketball history, stepped down from coaching in April after a 38-year tenure at Tennessee that included eight national championships. She remains part of the staff as head coach emeritus. Holly Warlick, Summitt's longtime assistant, was chosen to replace her.

Summitt's future as the Lady Vols coach was a season-long topic of discussion and Tennessee officials repeatedly said they would support whatever decision she made. Warlick was very emotional after the Lady Vols' season-ending defeat in the NCAA tournament on March 26. After the loss, Warlick said Summitt hadn't discussed the situation with her, or anyone else.

At the April news conference announcing her retirement, Tyler Summitt said the move was his mother's decision.

Pat Summitt said that day: "It's never a good time, but you have to find the time that you think is the right time and that is now."



[+] Enlarge
Rob Grabowski/US PresswirePat Summitt said in an affidavit that she initially felt she was being forced to step down as Tennessee coach.


Since announcing that she would step down, Summitt has not indicated that she is unhappy about how her coaching career ended. She has appeared at several fundraisers for her foundation and at various events, including NFL and WNBA games, and a NASCAR race. She also has an office not far from Warlick, and on Monday she made an appearance during the "Today" show's visit to Tennessee's campus.

When Jennings' lawsuit was originally filed Sept. 27, university spokesperson Margie Nichols denied any allegation that Summitt had been forced out.

"It's absolutely not true," Nichols said last week. "It was Pat's idea to become the head coach emeritus. I think she made that really clear at her press conference earlier this year."

Jennings' suit also argued that Hart retaliated against Jennings when she protested that Summitt's early-onset dementia protected her from losing her job under the Americans With Disabilities Act. Jennings said in the original complaint that Summitt informed her of Hart's intentions after that March meeting. Jennings indicated in the suit that she sent a written protest to Hart asking him to reconsider, and that he sent her an angry email in response.

The suit indicates Hart spoke with Jennings at a May 15 meeting and gave her less than three hours to choose whether to resign, retire or be fired. The suit charges that she lost her job either due to her gender and age or out of retaliation for her advocacy of gender-equity issues, opposition to discrimination against female student-athletes and opposition to sex, disability or age discrimination.

Jennings was 57 when she left her job as the university worked toward consolidating the men's and women's athletic departments.

[mtn2top]

This is just a continuation of a decade long crisis of leadership in the UT Athletic Department.

[Swamp82]

Man did anyone fall asleep while attempting to read this?
We all it sucks to be a vol

[IDGAC]

Hey thanks for the myriad championships in a sport no one cares about. Oh you have dementia?

[CGgater]

This is a major black eye for the ut administration due to Summitt's "legendary" status, but let's look at it from another angle. A coach whose mental capacities are highly questionable wants to be trusted to decide when it's time to step down. Is her maiden name "bowden?"

[vulcan_alex]

Hey thanks for the myriad championships in a sport no one cares about. Oh you have dementia?

Well if UF had these championships would we not care???

I care about each and every sport that we compete in, especially the woman's where we have great accomplishments some in a small amount of time.

[law98gator]

A coach whose mental capacities are highly questionable wants to be trusted to decide when it's time to step down. Is her maiden name "bowden?"

[MJMGator]

You guys are brutal!

[CGgater]

A coach whose mental capacities are highly questionable wants to be trusted to decide when it's time to step down. Is her maiden name "bowden?"

It's rare that I make a comment that gets noticed. I'll enjoy the moment while it lasts...

[BSJGator]

You guys are brutal!

If you can't handle the brutality, stay on the porch with the other little pussydogs...

[guardian]

Hey thanks for the myriad championships in a sport no one cares about. Oh you have dementia?

C'mon. It might have sounded funny when you wrote it, but think a minute before posting. She deserves better.

[oxrageous]

[IDGAC]

Hey thanks for the myriad championships in a sport no one cares about. Oh you have dementia?

C'mon. It might have sounded funny when you wrote it, but think a minute before posting. She deserves better.

Is this not a piss-on-UT thread? F, some of you need reading comprehension lessons. I'm not knocking Pat Summit at all.

[guardian]

Is this not a piss-on-UT thread? F, some of you need reading comprehension lessons. I'm not knocking Pat Summit at all.

Perhaps you should lead by example and take such a lesson, starting from the knock you put on Summit and working back up to the topic.

[IDGAC]

Is this not a piss-on-UT thread? F, some of you need reading comprehension lessons. I'm not knocking Pat Summit at all.

Perhaps you should lead by example and take such a lesson, starting from the knock you put on Summit and working back up to the topic.

What "knock" did I "put" on Summit?

[law98gator]

A coach whose mental capacities are highly questionable wants to be trusted to decide when it's time to step down. Is her maiden name "bowden?"

It's rare that I make a comment that gets noticed. I'll enjoy the moment while it lasts...

Nah, CG, you da man!

[law98gator]

[law98gator]

[law98gator]

I think I enjoy this time of year better than any... the complete absence of Voles.

[vulcan_alex]

Is this not a piss-on-UT thread? F, some of you need reading comprehension lessons. I'm not knocking Pat Summit at all.

Perhaps you should lead by example and take such a lesson, starting from the knock you put on Summit and working back up to the topic.

What "knock" did I "put" on Summit?

I don't want to start something and you are welcome to your opinion.

It appears to me that you think (or at least posted) that accomplishments in sports other than say football and mens bball are basically nothing ("nobody cares"). This is disrespectful to Ms. Summit and several of Uf's programs that have a large history of success in addition all woman's sports. At least it appeared that way to me.

You also appeared to make fun of her medical condition. I can assure you that there is nothing funny about your brain not working as it once did.

Now perhaps I am being too literal here it is one of my many failings and if so I am sorry.