When Bruce Pearl recalled Pat Summitt's hilarious remark at Tennessee practice: "Ain't nothing fast about that drill"

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl has often spoken with deep respect about the late Pat Summitt, who is one of the most iconic figures in women’s college basketball. During a 2021 appearance on “The Field of 68,” Pearl shared a memorable story from his time as the men’s basketball head coach at Tennessee that captured just how special Summitt truly was.

The story was about Summitt's hilarious remarks at a Tennessee practice, which showed the level of dedication she required from her players on their way to success. Pearl admitted that he and Summitt had a very candid relationship, which allowed them to share almost anything.

The 65-year-old said,

“Pat used to come by and watch [our] practice. I watched her practice and she'd walk out right in the middle of our practices and, you know, stand next to me. And she walks out one time, and we're not having a great practice." [1:35]

“She knows the answers to the questions before she asks them. She says, 'What's that drill you're working on right now?' And I looked at her and said, 'Well, that's our fast break; that's our 4-1 fast break drill.' She said, 'Well, let me tell you something about it: there isn't anything fast about that drill,' and walked off."

This just goes on to show how the veteran coach had a great sense of humor. And she never hesitated to hold her peers accountable to make them better.

“She knew it was a fast break drill, and she saw my guys not running full speed. Well, I brought our guys in and lit them up, you know. But that was our relationship in the sense that we could say anything together, we went through things personally off the court, we were friends off the court, and I did have a chance to see her at her best, and I also saw her when she was declining,” Pearl added. [2:15]

Summitt served as the head coach of the Lady Vols from 1974 to 2012, building one of the most respected programs in college basketball history. Between 2005 and 2011, her time at Tennessee overlapped with Pearl, who led the men’s basketball team during those years.

During her 38-year tenure, she guided Tennessee to eight NCAA Division I championships, without ever missing the NCAA Tournament. However, she developed Dementia later on, which saw her abilities decline slowly.

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Dane Bradshaw recalls Pat Summitt's advice

That episode of “The Field of 68” was hosted by former Tennessee guard Dane Bradshaw, who also shared his encounter with the late Pat Summitt.

Bradshaw recollected how he reached out to Summitt when he pondered going into coaching, and she gave him solid advice.

“I remember reaching out to her once after my playing days… I was considering getting into coaching, and I thought, you know what, I've got this great resource here might as well call. The worst that can happen is she doesn't call back. [3:16]

“Well, she called me back within two hours, and she said…'Yeah Dane, sorry I've been up north here at the Mayo Clinic just getting some medical tests done, and then just went on and started giving me advice about coaching.” [3:47]

Bradshaw later revealed that she had been to the clinic to get a second opinion on her Dementia diagnosis. But she still took the time out to mentor Bradshaw on his coaching journey.

Summit’s coaching career came to an early end in 2011, when she stepped down at the age of 59 after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.