Pennington, New Jersey: C. Vivian Stringer, Head Women?™s Basketball Coach at Rutgers University, will speak at the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce (MTAACC) Monthly Luncheon on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 at Maxine?™s2 Restaurant in Trenton.
A press conference and reception will be held at 11:30 am followed by lunch and Coach Stringer?™s presentation. John E. Harmon, President/CEO of MTAACC said, ?Coach Stringer has represented the state of New Jersey well while serving as the women?™s basketball coach at Rutgers University. Her commitment to excellence and teamwork is exemplified through the professionalism of her players?. Mr. Harmon will present Coach Stringer with the ?MTAACC Collegiate Achievement Award?.
The cost to attend is $20 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. Reservations are a must and can be made by contacting Cheri Durst at 609-393-5933 or cdurst@mtaacc.org.
The master builder of basketball programs, Rutgers head coach and women?™s basketball Hall-of-Fame Inductee C. Vivian Stringer has catapulted three different programs from obscurity to national prominence in her three decades as a head coach.
The first coach in men?™s or women?™s basketball to take three different schools to the Final Four (Cheyney University in 1982, the University of Iowa in 1993, and Rutgers University in 2000), she has been a pioneer, visionary and innovator during her three decades on the sideline.
Stringer, who finished her 33rd season (2004-2005) with a 723-246 (.746) overall record and a 203-111 (.646) mark in her 10 seasons at Rutgers, moved into sole possession of third place on the Division I women?™s victories list (709) with a 71-60 triumph at Boston College January 26, 2005.
Named one of the ?101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports? by Sports Illustrated in 2003, Stringer continues to be one of the most recognized coaches in the game. A recipient of the Black Coaches Association?™s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, she also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal as an assistant coach for the 2004 Olympic women?™s basketball team in Athens, Greece. The 2005 Big East Coach of the Year, Stringer was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in October 2005.
Stringer has been named the National Coach of the Year three times. She was also named the 1993 Coach of the Year by Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Converse, the Los Angeles Times and the Black Coaches Association, the 2000 Female Coach of the Year by the Rainbow/PUSH Organization, the District V Coach of the Year in 1985, 1988, and 1993, the District I Coach of the Year in 1998, Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1993, the Big East Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2005 and the 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2005 Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year.
One of her most personally gratifying accolades is the 1993 Carol Eckman Award, which acknowledges the coach demonstrating spirit, courage, integrity, commitment, leadership and service to the game of women?™s basketball.
Stringer has led her teams to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances. When one looks at her record, a pattern develops ?“ 3 programs, 3 Final Fours, 3 National Coach of the Year Awards, and 3 decades as one of women?™s basketball?™s leading voices for equality, innovation, and growth.
For further press information contact: Mika Ryan 609- 737-0927