C. Vivian Stringer, Who Led Cheyney University to History, Earns WBCA Lifetime Achievement Award

The WBCA names C. Vivian Stringer its 2026 Betty F. Jaynes Lifetime Achievement Award winner, honoring the coach who led Cheyney to the 1982 NCAA title game.

Jan 10, 2015; University Park, PA, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach C. Vivian Stringer answers questions from the media following the game against the Penn State Lady Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Rutgers defeated Penn State 71-51. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

HOUSTON — C. Vivian Stringer, the only coach to lead an HBCU to an NCAA national championship game, is being honored for transforming women's basketball with the 2026 Betty F. Jaynes Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced on Tuesday that Stringer will receive the honor, which recognizes individuals who have dedicated their lives to advancing women's basketball and is named after the WBCA's first and longest-serving executive director, Betty F. Jaynes.

"I met Coach Stringer when I was 17 years old," Cheyney icon Yolanda Laney told HBCU Legends in an interview. "She is a great teacher, she's very knowledgeable... she never wanted to be looked upon as a loser. She's always seen herself as a winner, even when the odds are always stacked against her."

Jan. 27, 2009; South Bend, IN, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach C. Vivian Stringer signals to her players in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Her remarkable legacy began at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the nation's oldest HBCU.  In 1972, she took over the women's basketball program.  Within a decade, the Lady Wolves turned into one of the country's elite teams despite operating with limited resources.

During the 1981-82 season, Cheyney posted a 28-3 record and climbed to No. 2 in the national rankings. When the NCAA staged its inaugural women's basketball tournament that spring, the Lady Wolves defeated Auburn, North Carolina State, and Kansas State before knocking off Maryland in the national semifinals.

Their historic run ended on March 28, 1982, with a 76-62 loss to Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters in the national championship game at Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia.

More than four decades later, Cheyney's accomplishment remains unmatched. The Lady Wolves are still the only HBCU program—men's or women's—to reach a Final Four or play for an NCAA national championship.

Stringer was a Trailblazer

Stringer's coaching staff, composed entirely of Black women, is believed to be the first all-Black women's coaching staff to coach in a national title game.  The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honored the 1982 Cheyney team as Trailblazers of the Game.

The Cheyney University breakthrough marked the first of three programs Stringer led to the Final Four. She later guided University of Iowa to the 1993 Final Four and Rutgers University to Final Four appearances in 2000 and 2007, becoming the first coach in men's or women's basketball history to lead three different schools to the national semifinals.

Mar 8, 2014; Uncasville, CT, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach C. Vivian Stringer talks to her players from the sideline as they take on the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the second half in the quarterfinal round of the American League Athletic Conference Tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena. Rutgers defeated SMU 68-49. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Over 50 seasons, Stringer amassed a 1,055-426 record, ranking sixth all-time among NCAA women's basketball coaches, and made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 10 consecutive berths from 2003-12.

She became the first African American coach in NCAA Division I women's basketball history to reach 1,000 career victories in 2018 and later surpassed Pat Summitt with a record 37 seasons of at least 20 wins.

Stringer's contributions have earned her induction into 12 halls of fame, including the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

She was also among the 12 coaches who met in Syracuse, New York, in July 1981 to establish the WBCA and remained an active member until retiring from coaching in 2022.

"C. Vivian Stringer is a pioneer and giant in our game. She represents so many ideals on which our game stands today," WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew said. "She is the prominent example for our Black coaches, and her success has inspired future generations of coaches and student-athletes."

Gary Redus II, who became Rutgers' head coach in March 2026, called the recognition a fitting tribute.

"Coach Stringer's impact on the game of basketball is immeasurable," Redus said. "She built a legacy that extends far beyond wins and championships, opening doors for generations of student-athletes and coaches while setting the standard for excellence, leadership and integrity."

Stringer, a native of Edenborn and graduate of Slippery Rock University, said the award ultimately belongs to the hundreds of players she mentored throughout her career.

"I had the great fortune to coach the sport I love for over 50 years, to mentor hundreds of young women who played for me, to teach them to respect themselves and each other, and to set them on their own journeys to success," Stringer said. "That is my lifetime achievement because that—more than the victories, more than the championships, more than anything else—is what it means to be coach."

The HBCU Way

The standard C. Vivian Stringer set at Cheyney remains one of the most remarkable accomplishments in college athletics. Forty-four years after the Lady Wolves' historic appearance in the national championship game, no HBCU has returned to the sport's biggest stage.

The 2026 Betty F. Jaynes Lifetime Achievement Award will go to  a coach who forever changed the trajectory of women's collegiate basketball, elevated HBCUs onto the national stage, and added a new level of competitiveness to the game.  The WBCA's recognition is at its highest for the  legendary résumé of C. Vivian Stringer.

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C. Vivian Stringer's Career and Honors

Coaching Career

1972–1983 - Cheyney State

1983–1995 - Iowa

1995–2022 - Rutgers

Head coaching record

Overall 1055–426 (.712)

Accomplishments and honors, Championships

4× NCAA Regional—Final Four (1982, 1993, 2000, 2007)

3× Big East regular season (1999, 2005, 2006)

Big East BE7 Division (1998)

Big East tournament (2007)

6× Big Ten regular season (1987–1990, 1992, 1993)

WNIT (2014)

Awards

Naismith College Coach of the Year (1993)

2× WBCA National Coach of the Year Award (1988, 1993)

NCAA, Wade Trophy National Coach of the Year (1982)

2× Converse National Coach of the Year (1988, 1993)

2× Black Coaches Association Coach of the Year (1993, 1998)

Sports Illustrated Coach of the Year (1993)

USA Today Coach of the Year (1993)

Los Angeles Times Coach of the Year (1993)

2× Big East Coach of the Year (1998, 2005)

2× Big Ten Coach of the Year (1991, 1993)

Hall of Fame

Basketball Hall of Fame - 2009 and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

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