Tennessee: When Pat Summitt's Pennsylvania recruiting trip ended up in Tennessee legend going into labor

Pat Summitt was a coaching legend. She was also a mom. These two worlds collided in 1990, when a recruiting trip was interrupted by Summitt going into labor. Doctor Leonard Brabson recounted Summitt's pregnancy to WVLT 8 in 2016:

"We knew early pregnancy that she was going to be delivering at a time that she should be out visiting recruits. So we had a deal that she would never be more than two hours away from the hospital. What she didn't tell me was she interpreted that to mean two hours by UT's jet plane."

Summitt stayed busy with her head coaching duties during her pregnancy and was in Pennsylvania visiting prospect Michelle Marciniak a few weeks before her due date. While in the Marciniak family home, the Vols head coach began having contractions. The recruiting trip was cut short as Summitt boarded the jet back to Knoxville.

The pilot wanted to make an emergency landing in Virginia because Summitt was having severe contractions and laying on the floor of the plane, but the coach refused. Brabson said:

"The pilot wanted to land over Virginia. Well the year before Virginia had knocked them out of going to the Sweet 16 or something, and she said, 'you're not going to land this plane in Virginia, you're going to have one mad woman on your hands, and you didn't want her to be mad at you.'"

Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel - Source: Imagn

Summitt wanted her son to be born a Vol, and she got her wish. The pilot flew to Knoxville and got Summitt to Dr. Brabson in time to give birth to her son Tyler.

The Tennessee coach showed her gratitude by inviting Brabson's office staff to serve as assistant coaches at a Vols game. They got seats right behind the bench and were able to enjoy time with the team in the locker room before the game.

Brabson added:

"She knew what she wanted and she was going to do what she had to do to get that. Now, on the other side, she was a very kind person with a gentle spirit. But when it was about business, it was about business, and she was always taking care of business."

Pat Summitt's accomplishments at Tennessee

Summitt led the Vols for 38 seasons from 1974-2012. Under her guidance, Tennessee won eight national titles, including three consecutive championships from 1996-98. Summitt's squad made 31 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and advanced to a record 18 Final Fours.

The legendary head coach is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A Tennessee campus statue was created in her honor in 2013 and the Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award was first given out in 2015.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman