“I just felt something was different”: When NCAA legend Pat Summitt opened about dealing with Alzheimer’s disease while coaching Tennessee

Pat Summitt, the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers and an NCAA legend, is recognized as one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history. The Naismith Coach of the 20th century was appointed by the Lady Vols in the 1974-75 season.

Summitt boasted a record of never missing the NCAA Tournament or having a losing season in 38 years of coaching the Volunteers. She retired from coaching in 2012 after a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2011, when she was 59 years old.

The Washington Post's Sally Jenkins interviewed Summitt in 2011, and the video was posted on YouTube on June 28, 2016, as the former coach spoke about dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, even during her stint with the Volunteers.

"I just felt something was different, and at the time I didn't know what I was dealing with, and until I went to the Mayo Clinic, I couldn't be sure, but I can remember trying to coach and trying to figure out schemes and whatever. It wasn't coming to me like, I typically would say, 'Oh we're going to do this, going to run that.' I think it probably caused me to second guess," Summitt said. (TS: 0:10)

Pat Summitt also gave an example of how her disease started affecting her office schedule.

''Just for one thing, getting up and getting ready to go to the office, not sure what time I am supposed to be there. I was trying to figure it out and I think that's why that's why at times I'd stay here as opposed to going in early to work, just to be around the house and be in a safe place."

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Pat Summitt's involvement with Team USA

Pat Summitt also represented Team USA at the 1975 Pan American Games, where the team won the gold medal after a 74-55 win over Brazil.

As the head coach of Team USA, Summitt led the team to the William Jones Cup, sealing gold medals in 1979 and 1983. She also won a gold medal at the 1979 FIBA World Championship for Women and a silver medal in 1983.

Summitt created a foundation to raise money for Alzheimer's research after retiring. She passed away on June 28, 2016, two weeks after her 64th birthday. With the help of the funds from her foundation, the Pat Summitt Alzheimer's Clinic was opened at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra