MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Legendary Crimson Tide gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson was honored by the Alabama Legislature this week as part of the state’s latest Academy of Honor class, which was created in the 1960s to recognize living Alabamians for accomplishments in business, civil rights, science, politics, education, literature, sports, and other fields.
Patterson, who along with her husband David, coached Alabama gymnastics to six NCAA Championships, was one of five members inducted into the Academy of Honor. She was joined by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, construction company executive M. James Gorrie, genetic researcher Richard M. Myers and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama executive Timothy Vines.
From 1978 to 2014, Patterson led The University of Alabama gymnastics program to highest echelon of collegiate athletics, including NCAA Championships in 1988, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2011 and 2012. She is the only coach – regardless of sport – in Southeastern Conference history to win NCAA team titles in four different decades. She is also the only coach in collegiate gymnastics history to win national team titles in four different decades.
Under her direction, Alabama finished in the top-10 for 32 years in a row, finishing in the top six nationally 30 times including an NCAA-best 22 top-three finishes. She also coached Alabama to eight Southeastern Conference and an NCAA-record 29 regional titles.
Patterson reached 1,000 wins faster than anyone in collegiate gymnastics history, retiring from coaching with 1,006 wins over 36 seasons. A 2003 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Patterson’s program stood among the NCAA’s top-2 in attendance for gymnastics and was second among all women’s sports in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014.
As successful as her teams were in the classroom and the gym, Patterson also worked tirelessly to make sure her program had a positive impact on the community at large. Always a force in the community, since 2004, her work with the DCH Medical Center Foundation took things to an entirely new level.
In December of 2004, Patterson joined with the DCH Foundation to create the Alabama Gymnastics DCH Breast Cancer Fund and went on to create the “Power of Pink” initiative to help raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. The results have been phenomenal. The Crimson Tide has hosted 11 “Power of Pink” meets, bringing more than 150,000 people to Coleman Coliseum to not only witness outstanding gymnastics, but to join in the fight against a disease that is among the top killers of women in this country
In addition to raising awareness through its annual pink meets, Patterson’s “Power of Pink” initiative helped raise more than $2 million for the Alabama Gymnastics/DCH Breast Cancer Fund, which provides for breast cancer screenings and treatment for the less fortunate in the Tuscaloosa community. She served as the Chair of the 2017 United Way of West Alabama campaign and serves on the boards of Elevate Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports.
In celebration of her career, The University of Alabama officially dedicated the Sarah Patterson Champions Plaza, located across the street from Coleman Coliseum, in 2013. She was also honored by the Southeastern Conference as a trailblazer of women’s athletics during the 2021-22 academic year.
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