Legendary women’s basketball pioneer C-Vivien Stringer has announced her retirement after 50 years and has racked up 1,055 wins as head coach, it was announced Saturday.
Stringer, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, guided her teams to 28 NCAA appearances and four Final Four anchors during her career in Cheyney State, Iowa and most recently at the Rutgers.
Stringer’s retirement will be effective September 1.
“My life has been defined by training and I’ve been on this journey for over five decades,” Stringer said in a press release. “It’s rare for someone to do what they love for so long and I’ve been fortunate to do so.” . “Having recently celebrated the first women’s team in the Final Four at Cheyney State University, where it all began, it sat with me that I’ve been on this team for a long time. It’s important to step aside and challenge others to step up and take this forward.
“This was the hardest decision of my life, but I thank God that he allowed me to do the thing I love so much. I am ready to start my new journey and spend more time with my family, children and grandchildren. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.”
The school said a national search for a Stringer replacement would begin immediately.
Stringer, 74, is fourth all-time in women’s Division I basketball, joining the likes of Tara Vanderveer, Pat Summit and Gino Orima with over 1,000 wins, and was the first black coach in the men’s or women’s game to reach that far. She was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.
Stringer has been on paid leave from Rutgers since April 2021, shortly after signing a five-year contract, with assistant manager Tim Whiteman serving as acting head coach ever since. While the team initially said her leave stemmed from fear of contracting COVID-19 and passing it on to her daughter with spinal meningitis, the university has since denied that characterization but failed to explain the rationale behind her absence. According to Asbury Park Press. The university said Saturday that Stringer will be billed $872,988 in the retirement agreement.
Rutgers went 11-20, including 3-14 in the Big Ten, this season.
Stringer was the first men’s or women’s basketball coach to direct three different programs to the Final Four, bringing national significance to every school she touches. Cheyney, a historically black college where she coached from 1971 to 1983, led her first NCAA Championship game in 1982, when the Wolves fell to Louisiana Tech. At Iowa (1983-1995), she turned the hockey team, which had won only seven games a season prior to its arrival, into a force, propelling them to their first national semi-final game in 1993. Selling advanced basketball at Carver-Hawk Arena.
It didn’t take long for her to repeat similar levels of success after taking the lead in Piscataway, NJ, in 1995. Rutgers advanced to the first Final Four in 2000 as well as the national title game in 2007, in which she fell to Tennessee. Stringer took the Scarlet Knights to 10 consecutive NCAA Championships from 2003 to 2012 while also drawing them to the WNIT title in 2014. Behind her valiant trademark defense, her 37 20-win seasons, most recently in 2019-20, have been the most in history. NCAA.
“I love Rutgers University for the incredible opportunity they gave me and for the tremendous victories we had together,” said Stringer. “There is always a weak spot in my heart for the University of Iowa and Dr. Kristen Grant for giving me my first major internship position, when my husband and I trusted to take our family to Iowa. She was a strong believer in women’s rights and this is a responsibility I defended and will continue to fight for.”
Stringer has also helped produce 21 WNBA Picks, including Sue Wicks, Cappie Pondexter and Essence Carson in addition to current players. Kia PhoneAnd Prince EpiphanyAnd Erica Wheeler (which went without wording), Petnia LaniBest player in the WNBA Finals Qleia copper And Ariella Gerantes.
“To the young ladies I have been fortunate to have coached and mentored today’s women and leaders, keep pushing through the barriers, keep pushing for your place at the table, and always know who you are,” Stringer said.
“Coach Stringer thanks you for stepping up our game,” tweeted South Carolina coach Don Staley, who earlier this month became the first black-headed basketball coach to win multiple First Division titles. “The strength of your shoulders has allowed us to stand tall. We will forever hold your legacy in our hearts. Thank you, Coach Stringer.”
Among other Stringer awards, she was a three-time National Coach of the Year and a four-time Conference Coach of the Year, twice in the Big Ten and twice in the Big East. She was also an assistant on the 2004 Olympic gold medalist team in Athens.
Rutgers said the stadium at Jersey Mike Arena will be renamed after the coach.
“Alcohol enthusiast. Twitter ninja. Tv lover. Falls down a lot. Hipster-friendly coffee geek.”