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Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti presented Coach Stringer with a framed jersey honoring her induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame during halftime ceremonies last Monday.
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PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers University head women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 11 in a live television broadcast from Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass. NBA greats Michael Jordan, David Robinson, John Stockton and Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan join Stringer in the Class of 2009.
“Nearly seven months after finding out I was a finalist, words still don’t adequately express how I truly feel. It will be a surreal moment,” Stringer said. “I am excited, anxious, nervous, proud, humble – there are so many words to describe what is one of the greatest moments of my life.”
Stringer was the first coach – male or female – to take three different teams to the Final Four, doing so with Cheyney State (1982), Iowa (1993) and Rutgers (2000, 2007).
With a career spanning nearly four decades, Stringer is ranked third in career victories (825) in Division I women's basketball history and was the third woman and eighth D-1 coach overall (men or women) to reach the 800-victory plateau when she did so in February 2008. The three-time national coach of the year honoree (1982, 1988, 1993) places eighth among Division I men’s and women’s coaches in total victories.
A 2001 inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, Stringer has led three programs to 22 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, which includes 10 trips to the regional final. She also made her sixth appearance on a USA Basketball coaching staff in 2004, serving as an assistant coach for the gold-medal 2004 U.S. Olympic Team.
The enshrinement ceremony will be broadcast on ESPN and NBA TV from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Friday evening. NBA TV will be live from the red carpet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The 2009 induction ceremony will mark the 50th anniversary for the Naismith Memorial Basketball HOF.
Highlights and Milestones of Stringer’s 39-Year Career
• First coach to lead three different schools to the NCAA Final Four (1982 -- Cheyney, 1993 -- Iowa, 2000, 2007 -- Rutgers)
• National Coach of the Year, 1982, 1988, 1993
• Third-winningest women’s coach all-time, 825 wins
• Eighth coach all-time -men’s or women’s - to record 800th career victory
• First African-American Division I coach – men’s or women’s to reach 800 wins
• Has Led three teams to 29 20-win seasons in her first 38 years
• Has appeared in 22 of 28 NCAA Tournaments, including 10 regional finals
• Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, 2001
• Assistant Coach, U.S. Olympic gold-medal winning team, 2004
• Named one of 101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports, 2003
• Named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America, 2007
• International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, 2006
• Nation’s best defensive team in 1981, 1983 and 1993
• Nation’s second-best defensive team in 1985, 2005, 2006 and 2008
• Assistant coach, 2004 Olympic Team, gold medal (Athens, Greece)
What They Are Saying About Vivian Stringer
Coach Stringer is the embodiment of strength, tenacity, and a true competitor. Her talents as a coach continue to bring recognition and respect to the entire state of New Jersey, and her character and ethics have had a tremendous impact on generations of young women. No one deserves this high honor more than Coach Stringer.
New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine
In achieving unparalleled success as well as in handling tremendous adversity, in molding great champions and in shaping meaningful lives, C. Vivian Stringer has not only built a Hall of Fame career but also lived a Hall of Fame life. We couldn’t be prouder.
Richard L. McCormick, President, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Coach Stringer has positively influenced and helped to shape the lives of so many young women. In the process she has become an icon in the game of basketball, a model of character, and a treasure to Rutgers University
Tim Pernetti, Rutgers Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
The BIG EAST Conference congratulates Vivian Stringer for a lifetime of success as a basketball coach, role model, mentor and pioneer. Her accomplishments over the years certainly speak for themselves and have earned her an esteemed place of honor in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside other BIG EAST Conference luminaries such as Dave Gavitt, John Thompson, Lou Carnesecca, Jim Boeheim,
John Marinatto, Commissioner, BIG EAST Conference
Vivian Stringer has been one of the giants of the game. Her achievements and the success she has created everywhere she has been throughout her career are second to none. Her teams are always among the toughest and most challenging to compete against in the country, year in and year out.
Geno Auriemma, Head Coach, University of Connecticut, Hall of Fame Class of 2006
Coach Stringer definitely deserves this. She’s been a part of women’s basketball, really since the NCAA championships first started, and took three different teams to the Final Four. She defines greatness. She’s also a mother figure off the floor. And that’s something, as a player, that you really look for in a coach; someone that can be there for you on the court, as well as off.
Essence Carson, Former Player, New York Liberty Guard
Vivian Stringer is such a deserving person for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She has contributed so much to the game of basketball over the years, but equally has contributed to so many young people’s lives. I am happy for her. In talking with her, I know she is thrilled with this honor.
Van Chancellor, Head Coach, Louisiana State University, Hall of Fame Class of 2007
Vivian Stringer is a true gem with exceptional courage who believes success is a marathon and as you climb you should lift others up. She has been my beacon.
John Chaney, Former Head Coach at Temple University, Hall of Fame Class of 2001
Vivian has won at every level and in every circumstance. Whether it was at Cheyney State, Iowa, or Rutgers, she took those programs and built them to elite powers. Not only has Vivian helped grow our game, but she has also transformed hundreds of young women into confident leaders and role models, which will always remain an integral piece of her Hall of Fame legacy.
Gail Goestenkors, Head Coach, University of Texas
C. Vivian Stringer was always more than a coach, she was our inspiration and model for success. I am grateful to her for pouring so much of who she is into us. God blessed her with an incredible gift to see into the souls of the young women she coaches, connect with their potential and inspire them to want all that life has to offer. I am fortunate to have gotten an up close and personal view of her work as a former player and an assistant coach.
Jolette Law, Former Player, Head Coach, University of Illinois
I think this is an incredible honor for someone who is so well-deserving. It’s been a long-time coming and I’m excited to finally see it come into fruition. I see Coach Stringer as a legend and an icon in women’s basketball and in sports in general. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a perfect way to seal her mark on the game.
Cappie Pondexter, Former Player, Phoenix Mercury Guard, 2008 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist
Coach Stringer’s body of work extends beyond the basketball world. The honor being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame makes so many people proud.
Dawn Staley, Head Coach, University of South Carolina
Vivian is one of the fiercest competitors I have ever met and her team always play with that same intensity. She does an incredible job of teaching her student-athletes the game of basketball and the importance of bringing your best every day. Vivian is a master motivator and is always able to get the most out of each and every one of her players. It’s because of this that she has been successful at every stop in her coaching career. She is very deserving of being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Pat Summitt, Head Coach, University of Tennessee, Hall of Fame Class of 2000
Congratulations to Coach Stringer for this tremendous and well-deserved honor. I have the ultimate respect and admiration for Coach Stringer. She represents the best of basketball and I am also happy to call her a friend.
Tara VanDerveer, Head Coach, Stanford University
Coach Stringer is a great coach who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. She has worked so hard for what she’s gotten, and deserves nothing less than this amazing honor.
Kia Vaughn, Former Player, New York Liberty Center
