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The Daily OrangeWBB | A resilient leader: C. Vivian Stringer willed Rutgers through controversy. Now recruits are rewarding that camaraderie
By Brian Tahmosh
Posted: 2/27/08, 11:23 PM EST Section: Sports
But the well-decorated Stringer had more national visibility than ever in her career during the media firestorm surrounding the Imus controversy.
When asked during a recent Big East conference call if that visibility contributed to her successful recruiting class, Stringer's voice raised considerably.
"Why don't we give credit to the fact that this team played for the national championship?" she asked. "And we understand always that any time you go that far in the tournament and you get that kind of recognition, just by human nature it is a fact that the team that gets the most exposure will be that team that people will take a serious look at.
"I think that one, it was the success of the program, period. In addition to that, I think that the parents as well as the players got a chance to see the character of the team that they were going to come to. And I'd like to believe that the combination of those two, not one single thing by itself, but the combination of those two was a positive factor for those players who decided to come to Rutgers."
St. John's head coach Kim Barnes Arico considers Stringer to be one of the best coaches and recruiters in the game, so she was not surprised by the size or strength of the Rutgers recruiting class. Even without the Imus situation, she sees Stringer as more than capable of convincing five All-Americans to play for her.
"I don't know if I would say (the Imus controversy) would be the reasoning behind it," Barnes Arico said. "She's not in the hall of fame by accident."
The California native Dixon, unlike Pope, knew all about Stringer before Imus made his remarks. Even though she was a junior playing for Long Beach Polytechnic, Rutgers made her list of schools she considered attending.
But it was not a short list. Dixon looked at schools all around the country, including UCLA, Duke, Arizona State and Baylor, and not one school stood out at that point.
Dixon said the increased visibility Rutgers received from the Imus press conferences was not the deciding factor in her decision, but it did play a role in her search.
When asked during a recent Big East conference call if that visibility contributed to her successful recruiting class, Stringer's voice raised considerably.
"Why don't we give credit to the fact that this team played for the national championship?" she asked. "And we understand always that any time you go that far in the tournament and you get that kind of recognition, just by human nature it is a fact that the team that gets the most exposure will be that team that people will take a serious look at.
"I think that one, it was the success of the program, period. In addition to that, I think that the parents as well as the players got a chance to see the character of the team that they were going to come to. And I'd like to believe that the combination of those two, not one single thing by itself, but the combination of those two was a positive factor for those players who decided to come to Rutgers."
St. John's head coach Kim Barnes Arico considers Stringer to be one of the best coaches and recruiters in the game, so she was not surprised by the size or strength of the Rutgers recruiting class. Even without the Imus situation, she sees Stringer as more than capable of convincing five All-Americans to play for her.
"I don't know if I would say (the Imus controversy) would be the reasoning behind it," Barnes Arico said. "She's not in the hall of fame by accident."
The California native Dixon, unlike Pope, knew all about Stringer before Imus made his remarks. Even though she was a junior playing for Long Beach Polytechnic, Rutgers made her list of schools she considered attending.
But it was not a short list. Dixon looked at schools all around the country, including UCLA, Duke, Arizona State and Baylor, and not one school stood out at that point.
Dixon said the increased visibility Rutgers received from the Imus press conferences was not the deciding factor in her decision, but it did play a role in her search.
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Michael Maryk
posted 2/28/08 @ 1:27 PM EST
I have followed intercollegiate athletics for over fifty years. There have been many stories of failures and accomplishments during this time. Now Rutgers can boast of having two of the most complete leaders of young people in coaches C. (Continued…)
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