For those of us who make it our life’s work to write and talk about leadership, coaches are a natural model. They work to motivate others and help them develop their abilities. They bring people together in teams and teach them to balance individual strengths and the growth of the group. They’re philosophical about winning and failure.

But even among great coaches, some stand especially tall. Pat Summitt, who died this week after a five-year battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, was one of those giants.