Rutgers to Honor C. Vivian Stringer on December 4
Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer will be enshrined on the court at Jersey Mike’s Arena with a dedication ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 4. Stringer was the head coach of Rutgers Women’s basketball for two decades from 1995-2022, before retiring at the end of last season.
The festive occasion takes place the day Rutgers opens up Big Ten action against Ohio State.
“This is a historic moment honoring a legendary woman in the world of sports and beyond,” said Athletic Director Patt Hobbs. “We are delighted for coach Stringer, her family, her letter-winners and all those she has impacted through the years. They now get to watch basketball games at Jersey Mike’s Arena on the C. Vivian Stringer Court.”
Rutgers will celebrate Stringer’s career and legacy throughout the day, welcoming letter-winners and fans back “On the Banks” with pregame and halftime ceremonies.
The second full-time head coach in Rutgers women’s basketball history, Stringer was the longest tenured Rutgers Women’s Basketball Coach. She amassed 535 wins while qualifying for 17 NCAA Tournaments, including 10 consecutively from 2003 to 2012.
“The 2022 Rutgers Hall of Fame Inductee led Rutgers to a pair of Final Four appearances in 2000 and 2007, with the latter culminating in RU’s first NCAA Championship game. In 2000, she became the first men’s or women’s basketball coach to guide three different programs to the Final Four after playing in the first NCAA Championship Game with Cheyney State in 1992 and leading Iowa to the national semifinals in 1993. In addition to her Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 2009 and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2001, Stringer entered another elite club with a 2020 induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame alongside Eli Manning, Rick Barry, Ed Harris, and Anne Hathaway.
“Stringer surpassed the monumental 1,000 career victory mark in November 2018. She became the fifth NCAA Division I women’s basketball coach to reach 1,000 career wins and was the first African-American coach to reach the milestone. She retired ranked fifth all-time in NCAA women’s basketball history with 1,055 career victories. In 2019-20, Stringer passed the late, great Pat Summitt and became the NCAA record holder with 37 seasons of 20 or more victories.”
Stringer is the recipient of the John R. Wooden Award “Legends of Coaching” honor, which is based on character, success on the court, graduation rate of student-athletes in the program, and philosophy.
In March 2021, Stringer was honored in the Sports Business Journal as a Leader in Diversity and Inclusive Hiring. Stringer developed 21 student-athletes who would be selected in the WNBA Draft, along with others who played professionally overseas.
Stringer also served on the Board of Directors of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, created in fall 2007. The Foundation, in partnership with the V Foundation for Cancer Research, is an initiative to fight breast cancer.
“In an effort to further Coach Stringer’s legacy, the C. Vivian Stringer Endowed Scholarship is striving to fund an endowed student-athlete scholarship that will provide financial aid for future women’s basketball Scarlet Knights. Coach Stringer has dedicated her life to creating a legacy of integrity, tradition, and pride within her programs and her student-athletes. Future Scarlet Knights will be given the opportunity to receive a first-class education at Rutgers University and compete for the women’s basketball team with the support of this endowed scholarship. Supporters can donate to the C. Vivian Stringer Endowed Scholarship here.“- Rutgers Athletics.
