If they haven’t already, these two women are going down in basketball history as legends: C. Vivian Stringer and Dawn Staley.
Vivian Stringer doesn’t need an introduction. One of the most recognizable names in all of college basketball, Stringer has built a legacy that is unparalleled by any other coach in the NCAA.
Vivian Stringer has been the head coach for the Rutgers’ Women’s basketball team since 1995. With 49 seasons under her belt, Stringer is responsible for transforming three programs into national title contenders and has led teams to 28 NCAA Tournaments. She is the first coach in all of basketball history, men’s or women’s, to take not one but three different schools to the Final Four.
Joining fellow basketball greats such as Michael Jordan and David Robinson, Stringer was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. Stringer was also a 2001 inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, served as an assistant coach for the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic Team and was named one of the “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports” by Sports Illustrated in 2003.
Stringer has said that she learned a lot from her parents; work hard and don’t look for excuses, and you can achieve anything.
Head coach of the University of South Carolina and three-time Olympic gold medalist, Dawn Staley has had a career worth much acclaim as both a player and coach
Staley began her career as a player in 1989 and was awarded Rookie of the Year, then went on to lead the team to three NCAA Tournament Final Four appearances, being named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament in 1991. In 2008 Staley was inducted into Virginia’s Hall of Fame.
Staley’s first coaching job was for the Temple Owls in 2001, and during her time there she was able to completely revitalize the program. In her second season she led the team to its first-ever Atlantic-10 Tournament title, followed by three more. Her time at South Carolina is indicating a similar pattern, having already made significant improvements to the program as of now.
