Pat Summitt says it was her decision to step down at Tennessee, never felt forced out

Published November 20, 2014

Former Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt says she retired on her own and never believed athletic director Dave Hart forced her to step down.

Summitt issued a statement Friday in response to the "misunderstandings" her signed affidavit created when she indicated that she had been forced out.

She said Friday "it was entirely my decision to step down" in April and that she never felt "forced out" by the university.

In the signed affidavit released Wednesday as part of former Lady Vols media director Debby Jennings' lawsuit against Tennessee, Summitt says Hart told her on March 14 she'd be replaced after the season. She said Hart later told her she'd misinterpreted his comments.

The 60-year-old Summitt has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and is currently Tennessee's head coach emeritus.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/pat-summitt-says-it-was-her-decision-to-step-down-at-tennessee-never-felt-forced-out