Pat Summitt, the most successful coach in college basketball, is stepping down nearly a year after being diagnosed with early onset dementia.

Summitt, who has won 1,098 games and eight NCAA titles as the coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols, announced Wednesday that she will not retire, but become head coach emeritus. Assistant coach Holly Warlick will move up as head coach. Warlick and Summitt have worked together for 27 years, all the way through last season, during which they shared more coaching duties.

With five seniors leaving the team, Summitt said the most important thing she can do is to remain in contact with the team in her new position, while allowing Warlick to move up.

“I want to talk to them and let them know I’m still going to be there,” Summitt said to the Washington Post. “The thing is: I have to keep living and doing what I want to do, and those players mean the world to me. With s having five seniors leaving, I feel obligated in a positive way to be there for the team.”

Image via Getty. 

Follow SheWired on Facebook. 

Follow SheWired on Twitter.