Program all time lows ... Time for a history lesson. This should be good, hope I don't lose any of ya!
Tennessee Lady Vol Basketball didn't really start until 1960.
So what did Lady Vol basketball look like? I'm sure just undefeated seasons right?
Sadly no, the program started out at a all time low. Please quote me on this.
Joan Cronan was the first coach in 1960 and went 810 over two seasons before being replaced by Margaret Hutson, who coached for four years with a 6018 record.
Then the world changed when Pat Summitt came. The rest is history. But I must point out it wasn't SEC championships and National Champions in her first 8 years. In the 19741975 season, Pat Summitt took over a 252 Lady Vols team. In her opening season, the Lady Vols won the TCWSF Eastern District Championship for the third straight year. (Coach Summitt's first though) However, the team finished only 4th overall in the TCWSF (they had been 2nd the previous two years), and were not invited to the AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament. After finishing 1611 her second season, Head directed two 20-win teams, winning back-to-back AIAW Region-II championships. 1978 included the Lady Vols defeating 3-time AIAW champion Delta State by 20, and Tennessee's first number one ranking.1978 saw the Lady Vols participate in their first AIAW Final Four, where they finished 3rd. Summitt ended the 1970s by winning the first ever SEC tournament, and returning to the Final Four, where they finished runner-up to Old Dominion, 6853.
So, Pat Summitt didn't win an SEC until 1980 ... in her 6th year.
Let's talk National Championships ....
Coach Summitt didn't when her first national championship until 1987 .... whoa!
Yes that's right, you heard it hear first (I say first because most of you seem to not know this) I'm not good at math so someone help me ... Coach Summitt didn't win her first National Championship until 1987, and she started coaching the 74-75' season ... you do the math!
Well ... Let's talk about Coach of the Year .. I mean come on this is Pat Summit!!!!
Welp, that award didn't come until 1983. (Please hold all gasp until the end)
I know facts don't sit well with most of you but try and stay with me.
Now let's talk about the dreaded awful, how could she ever, Holly Warlick!!! (I know most of you are yelling with your pitch forks at this moment but please, show some restraint)
Like Coach Pat Summitt, Warlick took over a team that was some what successful team. So Warlick, like coach Summitt, had some good stuff to work with. So naturally, Warlick in her first season finished 1st the SEC and made it to the elite 8 in the tournament.
Then, after her first year she was awarded the Maggie Dixon Award, which is awarded to the coach with the best performance in their rookie year as a head coach. (I can't believe it either, how could they? Don't they know?)
Warlick is in the final piece of her 6 year as head coach. In these 6 years, she hasn't complied a losing record ever, finished every season 20+ wins, 3 elite 8's, and two other ncaa tournaments as sweet 16 and 2nd round exits.
So ... back to the "all time lows" - thinking about just the facts. Warlick isn't anywhere near taking the lady vols to all time lows. She would have to have 2 losing back to back seasons to even have that idea considered. I understand that most of you on here still have your pitch forks ready to poke people and your fire lanterns ready to burn something but I would hold off on that for a bit.
History does state that Coach Summitt made it to her first final four in her 3rd year, (granted only 16 teams were allowed to play, regardless, it's still a wonderful accomplishment) But Coach Summitt didn't win her first national championship until 13 years of coaching.
Does Coach Holly Warlick not get that same amount of time and respect that Coach Summitt got?
If we followed the logic that most of you are using - Coach Pat Summitt should of been fired because it took her 13 years to win a national championship. I'm probably crazy for saying this but I just think that we need to put the pitch forks away and blow out the fire.