Raise the Roof: The Inspiring Inside Story of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers Undefeated 1997-98 Season

Pat Summitt became head coach of the women's basketball team at Tennessee in 1974; since then, she has won more national championships than any coach, man or woman, since John Wooden.  In the 1976 Olympics, as co-captain she led the U.S. women's squad to a silver medal, and in the 1984 Olympics--this time as coach--her team brought home the gold medal.  She is the author, with Sally Jenkins, of the bestsellingReach for the Summit.  A native of Tennessee, she more >>

Pat Summitt became head coach of the women's basketball team at Tennessee in 1974; since then, she has won more national championships than any coach, man or woman, since John Wooden.  In the 1976 Olympics, as co-captain she led the U.S. women's squad to a silver medal, and in the 1984 Olympics--this time as coach--her team brought home the gold medal.  She is the author, with Sally Jenkins, of the bestsellingReach for the Summit.  A native of Tennessee, she lives in Knoxville with her husband, R.B., and their son Tyler.

Sally Jenkins is the author ofMen Will Be Boysand the cowriter of Pat Summitt's first book,Reach for the Summit.  A veteran sports reporter whose work has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, she has worked for theWashington Post, Sports IllustratedandCondé Nast's Women's Sports and Fitness.On the way home, we passed through the Atlanta airport again. It was  December 21, and we were all flying home to different destinations for the  holidays.

While we were lounging at the gate, Betsy Roberts, our assistant athletic  director for development, handed me a quarter that she'd found. Betsy knew  how superstitious I was. I was especially superstitious about lucky coins.  Particularly pennies.

But a coin was only lucky if you found it lying heads up. If it was  tails, I wouldn't look at it twice, much less pick it up. This quarter was  heads up, so Betsy retrieved it and handed it to me. "I know you prefer  pennies, but I found you a lucky quarter," she said. I thanked her and  stuck the quarter in my pocket.

A few minutes later, I went into the rest room to freshen up. I entered a  stall, and looked down, and saw something in the bottom of the  commode.

It was a penny.

It was a heads up penny.

Dara Worrell, our ticket manager, was also in the rest room. I decided I  needed a second opinion.

I said, "Dara!"

Dara poked her head in.

I said, "Look in that commode."

Dara gazed at me strangely.

"No, really, look," I said.

Dara glanced down once, quickly, as if she was afraid something in there  might be alive.

I said, "Dara, do you know what that is?"

She said, "Well, it looks like a penny."

"It is!" I said. "But it's not just a penny. I think it's a heads up  penny. Do you think it's heads up?"

She looked again, and said, "Yeah, it is."

I said, "I got to have it."

"Pat, no," she said.

I said, "How can I get it?"

I looked around the bathroom. There was a plunger in the corner. I  grabbed it.

I caught the penny with the plunger, and tried to drag it up the side of  the bowl. But right at the top, it fell out and slid back down in the  water. I tried three or four more times with the plunger, splashing around  without success.

It was time to board the plane.

I said to Dara, "I don't care. I've got to have it."

I set the plunger down. I rolled up the sleeve on my right arm. I was  wearing an orange and white flannel shirt. Then I took my rings off.

Dara turned green.

I reached in and got the penny.

Then I went to the sink and turned on the hot water. I lathered up. I  washed the penny, and my whole arm.

I started to hand the penny to Dara. "Hold this," I said.

Dara didn't want to hold it. I had to wrap it in paper before she would  touch it.

I said, "This is it. We're gonna win a championship. You remember  this."

I went out to the gate, where several of our pl << less