Rutgers’ Stringer retires as coach after 1,055 wins

Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer announced her retirement Saturday after 50 years in college basketball.

She finished with 1,055 wins — fourth all-time among Division I women’s basketball coaches. Stringer made four Final Four appearances and reached the NCAA Tournament 28 times while leading Cheyney State, Iowa and Rutgers. Stringer was emotional when she talked to her Rutgers players Friday night on a Zoom call.

In a statement Saturday, she reflected on her “journey for over five decades” in coaching.

“It is rare that someone gets to do what they love for this long and I have been fortunate to do that,” she said.

Stringer, 74, had been on leave this past season because of COVID-19 concerns. She signed a five-year extension before going on leave last April. Her retirement becomes effective Sept. 1, and she agreed to a retirement buyout of $872,988. Rutgers will name its basketball court in her honor.

Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said naming the court after her is “a fitting and indelible tribute to one of the greatest coaches of all time.” He called Stringer “an icon” whose impact has been “felt across our campuses, around the state and throughout the nation.”

Stringer coached at Rutgers since 1995, winning 535 games. She led the Scarlet Knights to the NCAA title game in 2007 when they lost to Tennessee.

The school’s appearance in 2000 made Stringer the first men’s or women’s coach to guide three different programs to the Final Four. She led Cheyney State to the first NCAA women’s basketball title game in 1982 and Iowa to the national semifinals in 1993.

Stringer started her coaching career in 1971-72 at Cheyney State in Pennsylvania. Her career record was 1,055-426 (a .712 winning percentage).

“I am forever indebted to all the coaches who I worked beside,” she said. “Some were former players, some were colleagues, but all were friends and family at the end of the day ...

“To the young ladies that I was fortunate to have coached and mentored into the women and leaders of today, keep pushing the barriers, keep pushing for your spot at the table, and always know who you are.”

C. Vivian Stringer