One of the more interesting narratives in Rutgers’ blogosphere is the impact/fate of C.Vivian Stringer, the women’s basketball coach.The news that AD Pat Hobbs is committed to offering Ms. Stringer a four-year contract extension has re-ignited many who feel she should be shown the door.Quite frankly, it is a sentiment I honestly do not understand.
Bob Cancro’s article on the topic brought it back to the forefront of my thoughts.That there is any push-back at all about her continuing as the Rutgers’ women’s basketball coach is truly mystifying to me.After all, Stringer has:
- Taken three different teams to the Final Four (Cheney State, Iowa, Rutgers
- Taken 15 (out of 21) Rutgers teams to the NCAA tournament
- Won an NIT title with Rutgers just two years ago
- Named a National Coach of the Year by her peers three times
- Had many years of nationally ranked teams
- Sent scores of young women to professional careers in basketball
- Never a hint of scandal around her program
- Provided a perfect 1000 score on most recent APR (all players graduated)
- Won over 900 basketball games in her career
- A record of 449-234 at Rutgers
- Inductee in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA (in same class as Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and David Robinson)
Heck, she even has a building named after her on the Nike campus in Beaverton, OR.