Women's basketball coach resigns over inappropriate relationship
Tyler Summitt resigned from his job as Louisiana Tech women's basketball coach on Thursday and acknowledged having an inappropriate relationship.
"I am profoundly disappointed in myself for engaging in a relationship that has negatively affected the people I love, respect and care about the most," Summitt said in a statement issued through Louisiana Tech.
"My hope, plans and prayers are to repair those relationships. I am appreciative of the opportunity I was given to coach at Louisiana Tech. I am heartbroken that my time has ended in Ruston, but because of my respect for the institution, it is best that I resign. I am hopeful the media and the public will respect the privacy of my family and me as we deal with this difficult situation I have caused."
Summitt is the son of Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt. He married his high school girlfriend AnDe Ragsdale on June 1, 2013, and Louisiana Tech hired Summitt in April 2014 after two seasons as assistant coach at Marquette. Now 25, Summitt went 16-15 in his first season and 14-16 this season.
Louisiana Tech said Summitt's resignation was accepted and effective immediately.
Summitt graduated from Tennessee, where he spent two seasons on the men's basketball team. He also was a student assistant coach for his mother and the Lady Vols. He is a co-founder and board member of The Pat Summitt Foundation.
His mother announced in August 2011, at the age of 59, that she had been diagnosed with early onset dementia, Alzheimer's type. She retired in April 2012 as the all-time winningest NCAA coach and became head coach emeritus at Tennessee.
Pat Summitt has a career record of 1,098-208 with eight national championships, 16 Southeastern Conference regular season titles and 16 tournament titles. She also coached the U.S. women's Olympic team to the 1984 gold medal.