Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer has catapulted three different programs from anonymity to national prominence during her 37 years on the bench.
The first coach in men’s or women’s basketball to take three different schools to the Final Four (Cheyney University in 1982, The University of Iowa in 1993 and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 2000 and again in 2007), she has been a pioneer, visionary and innovator during her three and a half decades on the sidelines.
Stringer has compiled an astounding overall record of 804-267 (.751) and a 284-132 (.683) mark in 13 seasons at Rutgers. She is ranked third on the Division I women’s victories list (804) and is second all-time in victories by active coaches. She became just the eighth coach – men’s or women’s – to reach the 800 win mark when the Scarlet Knights defeated DePaul on Feb. 27, 2008 at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
Named one of the “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports” by Sports Illustrated in 2003, Stringer continues to be one of the most recognized coaches in the game. A recipient of the Black Coaches Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, she helped lead Team USA to a gold medal as an assistant coach for the 2004 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team in Athens, Greece. She has led her teams to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 10 of the last 11 years, and has coached in nine regional finals.
The Road to Rutgers
 Stringer began her teaching and coaching career at Cheyney, a small, historically-black school outside of Philadelphia, Pa., in the early 1970s. Even before the seeds of Title IX had truly started to take root nationally, Stringer and her Wolves were playing to packed houses and creating a name for themselves on the East Coast. In 1982, the NCAA sponsored its first-ever national championship for women’s basketball, and Cheyney did the unthinkable by advancing to that first Final Four, losing to Louisiana Tech in the championship game. For Stringer and her charges, Cheyney’s postseason run put the small university on the national map, as well as on par with the national powerhouse programs.
Following 12 successful and fulfilling seasons at Cheyney, Stringer sought out a new challenge and found that opportunity at The University of Iowa. Beginning with the 1983-84 season, Stringer built a program that helped elevate women’s basketball to a whole new level. The Hawkeyes generated unprecedented amounts of attention, including women’s basketball’s first-ever advance sellout. Stringer’s hard work and dedication culminated in Iowa’s trip to the 1993 Final Four, a feat that made Stringer the first coach in history to lead two different schools to the national semifinals.
Success Comes Quickly To “the Banks”
 Stringer arrived at Rutgers in July of 1995 armed with a belief in the program’s ability, calling it a potential “Jewel of the East” upon her hiring. After two years of gathering materials and going over blueprints, Stringer saw her plans begin to come together in 1998 when her team - filled with nine freshmen and sophomores- posted its first 20-win season in four years (22-10), winning the BIG EAST 7 Division title with a 14-4 regular-season record. Following their first-ever BIG EAST crown, the Scarlet Knights gave a hint of what was to come when freshman Tasha Pointer made two late free throws to lift RU to a 62-61 win at Iowa State and advance to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen.
As if mapped out in the plans, Rutgers continued its steady progression in 1999. They advanced to the Elite Eight before bowing out to the eventual national champion for the second consecutive year. The Scarlet Knights compiled a 29-6 overall record and a 17-1 mark in conference play to share the BIG EAST regular-season title. They preceded to upset No. 2 Texas Tech 53-42 in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Tabbed as the number-one team in the nation in the Street & Smith’s 2000 Preseason Poll, Rutgers lived up to its billing as one of the premiere programs in the country, finishing the season with a 26-8 record, a 12-4 slate in the BIG EAST and a spot in its second BIG EAST Tournament championship game in three years. With their 59-51 upset of top-seeded Georgia in the NCAA Tournament West Region final, the Scarlet Knights advanced to their first-ever NCAA Tournament Final Four. For Stringer, who had declared her vision five years earlier of leading Rutgers to the 2000 Final Four in nearby Philadelphia, there was a sense of accomplishment in fulfilling her dreams of making Rutgers a national contender.
 Stringer’s plans continued to pay dividends during the 2000-01 canpaign as the Scarlet Knights were consistently ranked among the top 15 teams in the country, handing eventual national-champion Notre Dame its first of only two losses of the season (54-53, Feb. 17). RU lost to eventual Final Four participant Southwest Missouri State in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, marking the fourth straight year that a Stringer-led team lost in the NCAA Tournament to a team that advanced to at least the national semifinals.
With four starters and five seniors gone, a group that helped form the nucleus of the 2000 Final Four team, the young Scarlet Knights struggled through inexperience and injuries to post a 9-20 mark in 2001-02. However, Stringer’s youthful charges bounced back, producing the best turnaround in Division I with a 21-8 record and a trip to the 2003 NCAA Tournament’s second round. Led by a woman known for her ability to transform and recreate programs, the Scarlet Knights’ resurgence should not have been a surprise to anyone who has followed the game over the last three decades.
During the 2003-04 campaign, in one of her more remarkable coaching efforts in recent history, she led an injury-decimated team to a 21-12 overall record and a 10-6 mark in BIG EAST Conference play. The Scarlet Knights were the runners-up at the BIG EAST Tournament and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, this despite having only seven scholarship players available for the conference title game.
 The 2004-05 season saw the Scarlet Knights return to the national headlines with a 28-7 overall record and a 14-2 mark in conference play to win their first outright BIG EAST regular-season crown. RU advanced to the final of the BIG EAST Tournament for the second straight year, setting the stage for a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Rutgers defeated nine ranked teams during the season, including an incredible eight-day stretch that saw the Scarlet Knights defeat three top-10 teams, capped by a 51-49 overtime victory against No. 1 and undefeated LSU Jan. 5.
In 2005-06, RU again posted a 16-0 slate in BIG EAST Conference play, winning its second straight league regular-season title. The Scarlet Knights advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, and finished ninth in the final top-25 poll with a 27-5 record.
Stringer has called the 2006-07 season the most rewarding and at the same time, challenging of them all. The master builder molded – literally - a team of 10. The young squad, with no seniors and five freshmen, began the season by losing four of its first six games not buying into Stringer’s stringent defense. Stringer held fast on the group, teaching, shaping and leading the unit to the grandest stage, the Final Four and Rutgers first appearance in a national championship game.
After the 2007 national championship game, Stringer showed the poise she has been known for throughout her career. The small-town product from Edenborn became a ‘de-facto’ role model for the nation following racist and sexist comments directed at her team by a shock jock. However, those that knew the amazing women expected nothing less from Stringer as she had been teaching poise and dignity to her athletes for decades.
The team weathered the crisis with determination and grace and faced the 2007-08 season with great expectations. The program picked up its sixth straight 20-win season and 10th 20-win campaign under Stringer. RU was ranked No. 7 in the final Associated Press Top-25 poll and No. 6 in the coaches poll. In addition, for the second straight year and the third time in four years Rutgers competed in the NCAA regional final. From the first NCAA championship game in 1982 to consistently putting together a team vying for the top crown, Stringer has helped to redefine the women’s game.
 Attract The Best, Play The Best, Be The Best
Stringer and her staff knew when they arrived that they needed to attract the best student-athletes in the country to “the Banks,” and they have assembled top recruiting classes from the start. RU’s 2001-02 freshmen comprised a class ranked first nationally by the Women’s Basketball News Service, the 2002-03 group was ranked 13th by the All Star Girls Report, the class which just graduated – Essence Carson, Matee Ajavon and Katie Adams - was ranked third by ASGR. The 2006 class – rising juniors – were ranked the top class by Women’s Basketball Magazine. This past season was no different for Stringer and her staff. The 2008 class –Jasmine Dixon, Chelsey Lee, Brooklyn Pope, Nikki Speed and April Sykes - has earned nationwide praise across the board, ranked third in the country by hoopgurlz and ASGR.
Ten of Stringer’s Rutgers recruits — Shawnetta Stewart, Usha Gilmore, Tammy Sutton-Brown, Tasha Pointer, Davalyn Cunningham, Chelsea Newton, Rebecca Richman, Cappie Pondexter, Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson – have been selections in the WNBA Draft. Ajavon and Carson – the latest draftees – were the first two in one class to be drafted simultaneously in the top-10 in April 2008. Ajavon was the fifth overall pick while Carson was chosen seventh.
One of Stringer’s strongest beliefs is that one must play the best in order to be the best. Being a member of the BIG EAST Conference, the winner of five of the last seven national championships, affords the Scarlet Knights a high level of competition on a daily basis.
In addition, Rutgers has played some of the nation’s toughest non-conference schedules year in and year out since Stringer’s arrival, a fact proven by RU’s annual strength-of-schedule ratings. This past season the trend continued as Stringer assembled the nation’s second-toughest slate, facing the No. 1 team in the nation in back-to-back games. Rutgers was the only team in the country to face all four squads (Stanford, Connecticut, Tennessee, LSU) who would advance to the 2008 Final Four in Tampa.
Defense Wins Championships
Rutgers’ success since Stringer’s arrival has been due, in a large part, to aggressive and intense defense. The trademark of Stringer teams has always been a suffocating brand of half-court defense, often switching and disguising multiple looks throughout a game to keep the opponent off-balance. The most famous, or infamous if you are a Scarlet Knight opponent, has been the match-up zone, a system perfected by Stringer and her long-time friend, Temple head coach John Chaney. In addition, Stringer has employed numerous full-court traps and presses, most notably the “55,” to often leave RU’s opponents feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.
During the 2000 Final Four season, opponents scored just 54.4 points per game- the fourth-best mark in the nation. The following year, RU allowed 56.5 points to finish sixth, and during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns, Rutgers ranked second nationally (51.3 and 51.9 ppg). Rutgers continued its suffocating defense in 2007-08, finishing No. 2 in the country. The etam allowed just 51.4 points per game.
The Extended Rutgers Family
It is not just about the success on the floor for the Scarlet Knights. Stringer’s programs have always had the feel of a family, but that family extends well beyond the confines of the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Community involvement has been an important part of extending that family, whether it be conducting free basketball clinics for local children, visiting with the young and old at local hospitals and centers, emphasizing the importance of education through the “RU Reading Into The Game” program, or lending support to Rutgers-based charities and events. The Scarlet Knights have become more than students and athletes during their careers — they have become citizens and role models as well.
That public visibility and involvement has, in turn, caused the community to embrace the Scarlet Knights and lend them support at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. RU recorded its largest crowd in history to see a women’s home game when 8,587 fans witnessed the Scarlet Knights’ victory against the nation’s number-one team, Notre Dame, on Feb. 17, 2001, one of six advance sellouts for RU since Stringer’s arrival. The fan support is unwavering as the Knights had two sell-outs in 2007-08.
Accolades and Achievements
 In recognition of her many accomplishments and service to the game, Stringer was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame June 9, 2001, in Knoxville, Tenn. When one looks at her plaque, a pattern quickly develops — three programs, four Final Fours, three national coach-of-the-year awards and three decades as one of women’s basketball’s leading voices for equality, innovation and growth.
Stringer has been named the National Coach of the Year three times (Wade Trophy — 1982, Converse — 1988 and Naismith — 1993) by her peers, an honor that is the pinnacle of achievement in her book. She also was named the 1993 Coach of the Year by Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Converse, the Los Angeles Times and the Black Coaches Association; the 2000 Female Coach of the Year by the Rainbow/PUSH Organization, a group founded by Rev. Jesse Jackson; the District V Coach of the Year in 1985, 1988 and 1993; the District I Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2006; the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1993; the BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2005; and the 1998, 1999, 2000, 200, 2006 and 2008 Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year. One of her most personally-gratifying accolades is the 1993 Carol Eckman Award, which acknowledges the coach demonstrating spirit, courage, integrity, commitment, leadership and service to the game of women’s basketball.
A finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award six times- including this past season - during her tenure “On the Banks,” Stringer was humbled when the U.S. Sports Academy decided to name its annual women’s coaching award in her honor. The C. Vivian Stringer Medallion Award of Sport for Women’s Coaching was handed out for the first time in July of 2002.
Stringer has also been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, including the New Jersey Sports Hall of Fame and the Sport in Society Hall of Fame in 2005, and the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame and International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
 One of her most memorable events and honors in Stringer’s life took place in September in Beaverton, Ore. Nike announced in May 2008 of its intention to name its second child development center after Stringer. The honor “literally” made Stringer speechless. The 35,000 square foot facility, housing 26 classrooms that provide care, learning and development for nearly 300 children, was dedicated on Sept. 9. Many family and friends made the west coast jaunt to share in Stringer’s special day.
In addition to her extensive collegiate experience, Stringer also has successfully tested herself in the international arena. An assistant coach for the gold-medal 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, her first USA Basketball experience came as an assistant for the bronze-medal 1980 USA Jones Cup Team. Stringer has had extensive head-coaching experience in the national program, leading the 1982 U.S. Olympic Festival East Team to a bronze medal, the 1984 U.S. World University Games Team (Kobe, Japan) to a silver, the 1989 U.S. World Championship Qualifying Team (Sao Paulo, Brazil) to a gold and a qualification for the following year’s FIBA World Championship, and the 1991 Pan American Games Team (Havana, Cuba) to a bronze medal.
A noted administrator, Stringer was one of the key players in the development of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Stringer serves on the Board of Directors of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, created in the fall of 2007. The Foundation, in partnership with the V Foundation for Cancer Research, is an initiative to fight breast cancer.
A native of Edenborn, Pa., and a member of the Alumni Hall of Fame at her alma mater, Slippery Rock University, Stringer and the late William D. Stringer have three children — David, Janine and Justin.
Overall Record: 804- 267 (.751)
Overall Season: 38th
RU Record: 284-132 (.683)
RU Season: 14th
Hometown: Edenborn, Pa.
Alma Mater:
B.S., health and physical
education, Slippery Rock ’70
M.Ed., health and physical
education, Slippery Rock ’73
Coaching Chronology
Head Coach, Cheyney University;
1971-83; 251-51, .831
Head Coach, The University of Iowa;
1983-95; 269-84, .762
Head Coach, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey;
1995-present; 284-132, .683
Highlights and Milestones
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
inductee, 2001
Third-most wins, women’s basketball
history
First coach, men’s or women’s, to
take three different programs to
the NCAA Tournament Final Four
Assistant coach, 2004 U.S. Olympic
Team (gold medal)
Three-time National Coach of the Year
Posted 29 20-win seasons in 37
years
Appeared in 21 of 27 NCAA
Tournaments
Coached in nine NCAA Tournament
regional finals
Year School –– Record –– National Finish
1971-79 Cheyney 144-35 .804 —
1979-80 Cheyney 26-7 .833 AIAW “B” First Round
1980-81 Cheyney 26-3 .897 AIAW Regional Final
1981-82 Cheyney 28-3 .903 NCAA Final Four
1982-83 Cheyney 27-3 .900 NCAA Regional Final
1983-84 Iowa 17-10 .630 —
1984-85 Iowa 20-8 .714 —
1985-86 Iowa 22-7 .759 NCAA Second Round
1986-87 Iowa 26-5 .839 NCAA Regional Final
1987-88 Iowa 29-2 .935 NCAA Regional Final
1988-89 Iowa 27-5 .844 NCAA Regional Semi
1989-90 Iowa 23-6 .793 NCAA Second Round
1990-91 Iowa 21-9 .700 NCAA Second Round
1991-92 Iowa 25-4 .862 NCAA Second Round
1992-93 Iowa 27-4 .871 NCAA Final Four
1993-94 Iowa 21-7 .750 NCAA Second Round
1994-95 Iowa 11-17 .393 —
1995-96 Rutgers 13-15 .464 —
1996-97 Rutgers 11-17 .393 —
1997-98 Rutgers 22-10 .688 NCAA Regional Semi
1998-99 Rutgers 29-6 .829 NCAA Regional Final
1999-2000 Rutgers 26-8 .765 NCAA Final Four
2000-2001 Rutgers 23-8 .742 NCAA Second Round
2001-2002 Rutgers 9-20 .310 —
2002-2003 Rutgers 21-8 .724 NCAA Second Round
2003-2004 Rutgers 21-12 .636 NCAA First Round
2004-2005 Rutgers 28-7 .800 NCAA Regional Final
2005-2006 Rutgers 27-5 .844 NCAA Regional Semi
2006-2007 Rutgers 27-9 .765 National Title Game
2007-2008 Rutgers 27-7 .794 NCAA Regional Final
Totals 804-267 .751
Cheyney 251-51 .831 (12 seasons)
Iowa 269-84 .762 (12 seasons)
Rutgers 284-132 .683 (13 seasons)
AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE COACHES
C. Vivian Stringer became the first coach in men’s or women’s
basketball to lead three different
programs to the NCAA Tournament Final Four when the Scarlet Knights reached the 2000 national semifinals (Cheyney -- 1982, Iowa -- 1993).
She ranks third (804) among Division I women’s coaches in career
victories, second among active head coaches.
Milestone Games
300th win; 1-26-86 vs. Wisconsin, 68-32
400th win; 12-30-89 vs. North Carolina,
106-81; Hilton Head
Island Super Shootout
500th win; 1-28-94 vs. Michigan, 78-56
600th win; 12-18-99 vs. Texas, 68-64
700th win; 12-8-04 vs. Princeton, 68-46
800th win, 2-27-08 vs. DePaul, 60-46
Most Victories, Division I
Coach Yrs. Record
1. Pat Summitt, Tenn. 34 983-182
2. Jody Conradt, Texas 38 900-309
3. *C. Vivian Stringer, RU 37 804-267
4. Sylvia Hatchell, UNC 33 784-275
5. Kay Yow, N.C. State 37 729-337
6. Tara VanDerveer, Stanford 29 724-188
7. Sue Gunter, LSU 34 708-308
8. Andy Landers, Georgia 29 707-225
9. Robin Selvig, Montana 30 697-199
10. Rene Portland, Penn St. 31 693-265
*ranked second among active leaders
in victories.
Best Winning Percentage, Active Division I Women’s Coaches (minimum 20 seasons)
Coach Record Pct.
1. Pat Summitt, Tenn. 983-182 .844
2. Geno Auriemma, Conn. 657-122 .843
3. Tara VanDerveer, Stanford 724-188 .794
4. Gail Goestenkors, Texas 418-112 .789
5. Wes Moore, Chattanooga 444-122 .784
6. Kim Mulkey, Baylor 208-60 .776
7. Robin Selvig, Montana 700-197 .780
8. Andy Landers, Georgia 707-225 .759
10. Carey Green, Liberty 213-68 .758
11. C. Vivian Stringer, RU 804-267 .751
Most 20-Win Seasons
Coach Total 20-Wins
1. Pat Summitt, Tenn. 34 32
2. Jody Conradt, Texas 38 29
C. Vivian Stringer, RU 37 29
CAREER BY-THE-NUMBERS
• 2001 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
• Third all time in wins among women’s basketball coaches (804-267)
• First coach, men’s or women’s, to lead three different schools to the NCAA Tournament
Final Four (1982 -- Cheyney, 1993 -- Iowa, 2000, 2007 -- Rutgers)
• Was the third women’s coach to record 750 and 800 career victories
• Eighth coach all-time -men’s or women’s - to record 800th career victory
• Has made appearances in 21 of the 27 NCAA Tournaments
(1982-83, 1986-94, 1998-2001, 2003-2008)
• Has made nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament Regional Final
(1982, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008)
• Led Cheyney to the 1982 NCAA Tournament championship game
• Nation’s best defensive team in 1981, 1983 and 1993
• Nation’s second-best defensive team in 1985, 2005, 2006 and 2008
• 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 Pennsylvania AIAW state champions
COACH-OF-THE-YEAR AWARDS
• 2007 and 2008 Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year
• 2006 WBCA District I, Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (co-) Coach of the Year
• 2005 BIG EAST Conference and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
Coach of the Year
• 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008 Naismith National Coach-of-the-Year Award finalist
• 2000 Rainbow Push Organization Coach of the Year
• 2000 Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association and New Jersey Basketball Coaches
Association Coach of the Year
• 1999 Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association and New Jersey Basketball Coaches
Association Coach of the Year
• 1998 WBCA District I, BIG EAST Conference, Black Coaches Association, Metropolitan
Basketball Writers Association and New Jersey Basketball Coaches Association
Coach of the Year
• 1994 Giant Steps Coach of the Year
• 1993 Naismith, Converse, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Los Angeles Times and
Black Coaches Association National Coach of the Year
• 1993 NCAA District V, Big Ten Conference and Big Ten Sportswriters’ Coach of the Year
• 1991 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year
• 1988 Converse National Coach of the Year
• 1988 NCAA District V Coach of the Year
• 1985 NCAA District V Coach of the Year
• 1983 NCAA District II Coach of the Year
• 1982 NCAA, Wade Trophy National Coach of the Year
• 1982 Pennsylvania AIAW Coach of the Year
• 1980,1981 Philadelphia Sportswriters’ Coach of the Year
NATIONAL/OTHER HONORS
• 2006, International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame
• 2006, University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame
• 2005, Sport in Society Hall of Fame
• 2005, Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey
• 2004, Black Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1993, Carol Eckman Award
• 2003, “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports,” Sports Illustrated
• 2002, U.S. Sports Academy creates C. Vivian Stringer Medallion Award of Sport for
Women’s Coaching
• 2001, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
• Honoree, Smithsonian Institute, Black Women in Sports
• 1994, Reggie McKenzie Foundation Commitment to Character Award
• Honoree, Who’s Who Among Black Americans
• 1993, Joe Cipriano/Jim Valvano Nike Hall of Fame Award
• NAACP Jackie Robinson Award (New Brunswick, N.J.)
• 2004, Girl Scouts of America Woman of Distinction (Delaware-Raritan, N.J.)
• 2004, Executive Women of New Jersey Honoree
• 2002, Girl Scouts of America Woman of Distinction (Greater Essex and Hudson
Counties, N.J.)
• 1998, National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club
Woman of the Year (Union County, N.J.)
• 1998, City News 100 Most Influential Award
• 1994, Iowa City Magazine’s Person of the Year
• 1987, inductee into the Communiplex Hall of Fame
INTERNATIONAL COACHING
• Assistant coach, 2004 Olympic Team, gold medal (Athens, Greece)
• Head coach, 1991 U.S. Pan-American Games, bronze medal (Havana, Cuba)
• Head coach, 1989 World Championship Qualification Tournament, gold medal
(Sao Paulo, Brazil)
• Head coach, 1984 World University Games, silver medal (Kobe, Japan)
• Head coach, 1982 U.S. Olympic Festival East Team, bronze medal
(Indianapolis, IN)
• Assistant coach, 1980 Jones Cup, bronze medal (Taiwan)
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