C. Vivian Stringer Speaking Fee: $20,000 to $30,000

C. Vivian Stringer’s journey from a small Pennsylvania town to the pinnacle of college basketball is a testament to resilience, vision, and leadership. Born in Edenborn in 1948, she was raised in a coal-mining family that instilled in her a deep work ethic and belief in justice. As a teenager, she successfully challenged racial discrimination to become her high school’s first Black cheerleader. At Slippery Rock University, she was a four-sport athlete, laying the foundation for a lifetime in athletics. Stringer began her coaching career at Cheyney State, a historically Black college, where she led the team to the 1982 NCAA championship game—the only HBCU, men’s or women’s, to ever reach that stage. She later transformed the University of Iowa into a national contender, guiding the Hawkeyes to the Final Four in 1993. In 1995, she took over Rutgers University’s women’s basketball program, leading them to two Final Fours and the 2007 NCAA title game. She remains the only coach in NCAA history to take three different programs to the Final Four. Over her 50-year career, Stringer amassed 1,055 wins, ranking her among the winningest coaches in NCAA women’s basketball history. She was the first African American coach to reach 1,000 victories and holds the NCAA record with 37 seasons of 20 or more wins. Her accolades include induction into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as the 2024 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball Award. Beyond the court, Stringer has been a powerful advocate for equity and education. She mentored countless athletes, 21 of whom were drafted into the WNBA, and served as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2004 U.S. Olympic team. In 2022, Rutgers honored her legacy by renaming its basketball court in her name—a fitting tribute to a coach whose impact has transcended sports.