KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – One of the most influential figures in college basketball history will soon be recognized on a U.S. postage stamp.
The United States Postal Service announced Monday that former University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt will be featured in its 2027 stamp lineup, honoring her legendary career and impact on women’s sports.
The stamp will feature a portrait of Summitt created by artist Roberto Parada and designed by Ethel Kessler, a longtime USPS art director.
In announcing the selection, the Postal Service highlighted Summitt’s demanding leadership style and her lasting influence on the game.
“Demanding, disciplined and fiercely competitive, Summitt pushed her players to excel on and off the court,” USPS said in its announcement. “Her success helped elevate women’s basketball nationally while raising expectations for how women athletes and their coaches should be supported.”
Summitt spent 38 seasons leading the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers program, building one of the most successful dynasties in college athletics. During her Hall of Fame career, she guided the Lady Vols to eight NCAA national championships and compiled 1,098 career victories, becoming one of the winningest coaches in basketball history.
Beyond the championships and victories, Summitt was widely credited with helping transform women’s basketball into a national spectator sport while mentoring generations of athletes who went on to become coaches, business leaders and advocates for women’s sports.
The Knoxville icon retired in 2012 after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She died in 2016 at the age of 64, but her influence continues through the Pat Summitt Foundation and the university program she helped build.
Summitt joins a distinguished group of Americans being recognized in the USPS 2027 stamp program, including baseball legend Willie Mays.
The new stamp serves as another tribute to a coach whose impact reached far beyond the basketball court and helped shape the future of women’s athletics across the nation.
