Knoxville, TN — On Saturday night, June 9 history was made in Knoxville. Two assistant coaches received an induction into the women’s basketball Hall of Fame for the very first time in history.
Geno Auriemma’s right-hand woman Chris Dailey and Pat Summit’s “balancer” Mickie DeMoss both accepted the award.
Dailey joins a star-studded list of former Husky honorees, with four other Huskies already in the Hall of Fame. Those include Geno Auriemma (2006), Rebecca Lobo (2010), Jennifer Rizzotti (2013), and Kara Wolters (2017).
DeMoss wasn’t the only Lady Vol to be honored that evening, as player Chamique Holdsclaw also was inducted. The pair will give Tennessee a total of 12 inductees in the Hall of Fame.
Dailey, DeMoss, and Holdsclaw were honored alongside Colorado coach Ceal Barry, New Jersey high school coach Rose Marie Battaglia, and players Tina Thompson, and Katie Smith. The total came out to seven inductees for the class of 2018.
Dailey spoke on the relationship between her and her fellow honoree, DeMoss.
“There’s always been a respect between us because there haven’t been many assistant coaches who’ve been in the position that we have for so long,” Dailey said. “Building a program, getting to the top, and then trying to stay there year after year … and all the things that come with that. Mickie had already experienced it, and then I went through it. We were always willing to have those conversations with each other.”
Dailey was Auriemma’s first hire in 1985 when he took over the UConn program. Since then, the two has made 19 Final Four appearances, won 11 national championships, and set a record of a 111-game win streak.
DeMoss was the assistant in Knoxville for 18 seasons, in that time the Lady Vols went to 13 Final Fours and won six national championships.
Dailey and DeMoss are the first assistants who have ever been inducted into the Hall of Fame, which Dailey pointed out in her speech, dedicating her own induction to all assistant coaches who don’t receive the recognition she did.
