A Rocky Top Farewell: Holly Warlick Passes Away Just Months After Beloved Mother
Knoxville, TN – June 6, 2025 — In a moment that has left the Tennessee Volunteers family and the entire women’s basketball world in solemn reflection, Holly Warlick, the indomitable Lady Vol legend, has passed away at the age of 66 — just months after the death of her beloved mother, Frances “Fran” Warlick.
The news, announced early this morning by the University of Tennessee’s athletic department, has sent shockwaves throughout college athletics, as fans and former players mourn the loss of a figure synonymous with Lady Vol pride, grit, and Southern resolve.
A Legacy Born on Rocky Top
Born and raised in Knoxville, Warlick embodied everything the University of Tennessee stood for. She arrived on campus in 1976, the same year women’s basketball was still carving its place into NCAA legitimacy. From the beginning, she was a trailblazer — the first Lady Vol basketball player to have her jersey retired. Her blistering speed, relentless work ethic, and leadership helped shape Pat Summitt’s early squads into national contenders.
Her playing days were only the beginning.
Warlick returned to Tennessee in 1985 to serve as an assistant coach under her mentor and lifelong friend, Pat Summitt. Over the next 27 years, she was the quiet force behind the scenes — helping lead the Lady Vols to eight NCAA national titles, countless SEC championships, and a legacy that would become the gold standard in women’s basketball.
When Summitt stepped down in 2012 due to Alzheimer’s disease, Warlick took over the helm. It was not just a professional transition; it was a spiritual passing of the torch. Holly was the only person who could carry that burden — not because she sought it, but because she had earned it.
In her seven years as head coach, Warlick compiled a 172-67 record, leading the team to multiple Sweet Sixteen appearances. Though never able to capture the elusive national title as a head coach, her stewardship ensured the program’s continuity through one of its most turbulent transitions.
A Heart Still Healing
But beyond the court, Warlick was known for her deep sense of loyalty, her emotional honesty, and her tireless advocacy for student-athletes. When her mother Frances passed away in January 2025, Warlick was left devastated.
“She wasn’t just my mom — she was my compass,” Warlick had said at her mother’s funeral in February, fighting through tears. “Everything I am, everything I’ve done, starts with her.”
Friends noted that Warlick never quite recovered from the loss. Though she remained active in local Knoxville charities and appeared at several Lady Vol events this spring, many close to her said the spark in her voice — the legendary Warlick fire — had dimmed.
“She told me a few weeks ago that the quiet was getting louder,” said former Lady Vol standout Tamika Catchings, visibly emotional. “I think her heart just couldn’t take the silence.”
Final Days and Lasting Words
Warlick passed peacefully in her sleep on the night of June 5, surrounded by family and close friends. Her dog, Rocko — named after the Rocky Top spirit she so loved — was reportedly at her side.
In a handwritten note discovered in her home, believed to be a journal entry, Warlick wrote:
> “If I don’t wake up one day, just know I lived a life I was proud of. My heart was always in orange. And if I see Mom again, well… I’ll hug her so tight, it’ll shake heaven.”
The note is now being shared across social media by former players and fans as a testament to the emotional core of a woman who wore her heart on her sleeve as fiercely as she wore her orange blazer on the sideline.
Tributes from All Corners of the Basketball World
The outpouring has been immense.
University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman released a statement:
> “Today, the University mourns the loss of one of our most cherished daughters. Holly Warlick was the epitome of Lady Vol pride — a player, a coach, and most of all, a mentor and friend to so many. Her influence is woven into the very fabric of our institution.”
WNBA legend and former Lady Vol Candace Parker wrote on Instagram:
> “Holly believed in me when no one else did. She saw my fire and helped me learn to control it. I’m shattered. But I know she and Coach Summitt are laughing together right now.”
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, a longtime rival, also paid tribute:
> “We battled for decades, but I always had respect for Holly. She fought for her players and for women’s basketball in ways most people will never know.”
A Celebration of Life in Orange and White
A public memorial is scheduled for June 15 at Thompson-Boling Arena — a place that witnessed nearly every major moment of Warlick’s storied career. The event is expected to draw thousands, including former players, coaches, and fans from around the nation.
The Warlick family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the “Warlick Women’s Leadership Fund,” a foundation established to support mentorship and leadership opportunities for female student-athletes at Tennessee.
In a symbolic gesture, the University of Tennessee will dim the lights at the Pat Summitt statue every night at 9:11 p.m. (Warlick’s coaching number was 11) for the remainder of the month — a tribute to both a friend and the irreplaceable heartbeat of Lady Vols basketball.
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“This Is Lady Vol Country”
Holly Warlick may be gone, but her echo remains — in every whistle of the wind across the Great Smoky Mountains, in every bounce of the basketball on a Tennessee hardwood floor, and in every young girl who dreams of wearing orange and white.
She followed Pat Summitt. She honored her mother. She led with grace. And now, she rests — finally reunited with the woman who raised her and the coach who shaped her.
Forever a Lady Vol.
Forever Rocky Top.
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