Indiana University Athletics
Rhet Wierzba Honored As 2026 Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award Winner
4/3/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PHOENIX – Indiana women's basketball associate head coach Rhet Wierzba has been named the 2026 Pat Summitt Most Courageous award winner from the United States Basketball Writers Association in a ceremony as part of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Final Four on Friday.
Wierzba, who just completed his 12th season with the program in 2025-26, has been battling a brain tumor since June 2024. During his time with the program, Wierzba has been a part of seven trips to the NCAA Tournament including three Sweet Sixteens, an Elite Eight, 10-straight 20-win seasons, a Big Ten Conference regular season championships. He has been in the forefront of recruiting and developing Indiana women's basketball talent over the last decade, bringing the program to new levels of success.
"I am extremely honored to receive the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award," Wierzba said. "To be put in the same sentence as Coach Summitt is very humbling. She is one of the most courageous, successful, and impactful coaches of all time, regardless of gender or sport. In the past two years, the support from the women's basketball community during my journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. It's with continued encouragement, positivity and my faith that I continue to fight my battle while also being able to continue to do the job I love so much."
The USBWA annually recognizes a player, coach, official or administrator who has demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball. In 2012, the last of Pat Summitt's 38 seasons at the University of Tennessee, an annual recognition for women's basketball was created in her name. Honorees have included Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph University, Holly Rowe of ESPN, Kendall Currence of Northeastern, Angelique Francis of Little Rock and University of Southern Mississippi coach Joye Lee-McNelis.
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Wierzba, who just completed his 12th season with the program in 2025-26, has been battling a brain tumor since June 2024. During his time with the program, Wierzba has been a part of seven trips to the NCAA Tournament including three Sweet Sixteens, an Elite Eight, 10-straight 20-win seasons, a Big Ten Conference regular season championships. He has been in the forefront of recruiting and developing Indiana women's basketball talent over the last decade, bringing the program to new levels of success.
"I am extremely honored to receive the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award," Wierzba said. "To be put in the same sentence as Coach Summitt is very humbling. She is one of the most courageous, successful, and impactful coaches of all time, regardless of gender or sport. In the past two years, the support from the women's basketball community during my journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. It's with continued encouragement, positivity and my faith that I continue to fight my battle while also being able to continue to do the job I love so much."
The USBWA annually recognizes a player, coach, official or administrator who has demonstrated extraordinary courage reflecting honor on the sport of amateur basketball. In 2012, the last of Pat Summitt's 38 seasons at the University of Tennessee, an annual recognition for women's basketball was created in her name. Honorees have included Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph University, Holly Rowe of ESPN, Kendall Currence of Northeastern, Angelique Francis of Little Rock and University of Southern Mississippi coach Joye Lee-McNelis.
Follow Indiana Women's Basketball on Facebook, X and Instagram.
#NeverDaunted
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