Dedication, Passion, and Family - Two Coaches for the Ages

In today’s coverage of sports, we frequently find ourselves captivated by the lavish victory celebrations, inordinate symbols of wealth, and the air invincibility surrounding our athletes.   In fact, there is a tendency to allow the initial portrayals of high-profile superstars and their amazing athletic feats to fool us into believing that they are immune to the everyday transgressions that permeate all lifestyles indiscriminately.   While many of yesteryear’s sports icons such as Babe Ruth, Vince Lombardi, and Jerry West are permanently held as indelible symbols of sports virtue, many of our great athletes of today continue to receive excessive exposure for flaws that prevent them from cementing the same unadulterated legacies as those from an earlier and less colorful era.*   Most recently, we have witnessed Tiger Woods become embroiled in a scandal involving infidelity, domestic violence, and various “addictions.”   Prior to that, headlines were dominated by Barry Bonds as the poster child for performance enhancing drugs,   Kobe Bryant as a rapist, and there were even inferences made that Michael Jordan had an uncontrollable gambling problem (before he walked away from the sport of basketball for a year).  

It is important that we remember to acknowledge those among us who have neither been dragged through headlines full of negative imagery nor commanded and received excessive fanfare for their incredible achievements.   Two of our individuals who have consistently exemplified all that is good about sports while at the same time positively impacting the lives of scores of future leaders are the late Eddie Robinson, who coached the Grambling State Tigers football team for over 50 years, and C. Vivian Stringer, who currently serves as the head coach of the Rutgers women’s basketball program.   By simply conveying and reinforcing the simple principles of dedication, passion, love, and family, each of these outstanding coaches has taught several generations of young athletes to be winners in life.

Eddie Robinson would have celebrated his 91^st birthday on February 13.   That’s why it’s only fitting that on that same date this year (2010), an 18,000 square-foot museum was opened in Grambling, Louisiana, to honor Robinson’s legacy.   The $4.5 million facility will finally allow Robinson’s wife, Doris, to publicly share all of the awards, trophies, plaques, and mementos that have been crammed under the beds, into closets, and in the backyard sheds of their humble Grambling home for many years.   The museum will also allow the family to display additional memorabilia that has required two tractor trailers and an offsite storage facility to house the deluge of other tributes to the coach’s greatness.  

The courtship between Eddie and Doris Robinson began when they were 13-year-olds in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.   It was a relationship that would continue for 75 years, surviving a separation while Doris attended boarding school during their high school years, and eventually ending with the two attending college together and marrying in 1941.   That was also the year Robinson was hired to teach and coach at the Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute (later renamed Grambling State University).   The uninterrupted spans of time that have passed since 1941, that found Robinson retiring from Grambling in 1998 and ultimately departing from his beloved Doris in 2007, are testaments to the values of commitment, dedication, and perseverance that Robinson passed along to the young men that he coached.   He often spoke of the fact that his proudest accomplishment was the fact that he kept one wife and one job for over 50 years.

In 1941, Eddie Robinson received his first coaching opportunity from the president of the Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute, Ralph Jones.   By the time his second season had concluded, the former Leland College quarterback had coached his new team to an undefeated record.   That record would eventually balloon to a mark of 408 wins and only 165 losses to make Robinson the winningest coach in Division I college football and the first to reach 400 wins.**   Robinson’s eclipsing of University of Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant’s win total of 323 during Grambling’s 1985 season was historically analogous to Hank Aaron surpassing Babe Ruth’s homerun total in baseball.   It was an achievement that evoked the same sentiments as Jesse Owens winning gold in the 1936 Olympics and Jack Johnson becoming the first Black man to be the heavyweight champion of the world in 1908.

Yet, despite the accolades that accompanied the victories during a college coaching career that spanned 57 seasons, Eddie Robinson’s most significant contributions transcended the results on a scoreboard at the end of a game.   His first real superstar was a running back by the name of Paul “Tank” Younger who joined Robinson’s team in 1945 and became the first player from an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to be selected to an All-America team.   Younger later went on to become the first player from an HBCU to play in the NFL (1949), and trail-blazed as one of the first African-American NFL executives when he served as the assistant general manager of the San Diego Chargers from 1975-1987.    There was also NFL Hall-of-Famer Willie Davis who played for Coach Robinson during the 1950’s.   Davis went on to enjoy a 10-year career in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers before earning an MBA degree from the University of Chicago in 1968.   Davis has served or currently serves on the executive boards of several prominent corporations, including Sara Lee, Manpower, Dow Chemical, K-Mart, and Johnson Controls.  

One of the most famous products of Coach Robinson’s tutelage is Doug Williams, whose career path has embodied many of Robinson’s ideals.   One of Coach Robinson’s primary goals was to encourage young men that they could do anything if they were willing to pay the price.   As a boy growing up in Baton Rouge, the young Robinson arrived at 5:00am to clean the Louisiana State University stadium bathrooms because it was the only way a Black football fan could attend a game there in the early 1920’s.   As a football coach, Robinson was determined to eliminate any notion in his players that you couldn’t do something because you were Black.   Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl in 1988; he was also the first to win the Super Bowl MVP Award.   After his playing career, Williams went back to teach physical education and coach football at his old high school before eventually completing the circle to succeed Coach Robinson in 1998 as just the second head football coach in the history of Grambling State University.   Williams remained as a coach at the school until 2003 and continued the winning tradition with a record of 52-18.   He is currently the director of professional scouting for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his first NFL team.

Along with Younger, Davis, and Williams, Coach Robinson ended up having over 200 of his players go on to play professional football.   Equally or even more impressive was the 80% graduation rate for Grambling State football players during his tenure.***   Robinson considered his role in coaching to be that of an educator.   His objective extended beyond winning football games and, instead, revolved around teaching and motivating young men.   The Grambling legend was famous for going to the dormitory where his players slept to wake them with a cowbell at 6:30am every weekday morning so they would get up and out to class on time.  

Robinson also did not hesitate to extend himself or his appreciation for family values to his players.   If one of his players had the misfortune of never having a family member come to see him play, it did not go unnoticed.   He believed that even the simple act of putting one’s arm around a young person and delivering a few words of encouragement was enough to remind them that someone cared and to inspire them towards success.   Robinson also demonstrated family values to his team by example, as they were consistently exposed to the strong bond that he had with his wife.   She frequently traveled with the team on the road, and he felt it was important that they see how a husband and wife should love and treat each other.   He often talked about how good it felt to be in the house with his wife and not feeling the desire to want to run around outside of his home.   Robinson and his wife also raised two children during his time at Grambling, a daughter, Lilian Rose, and a son, Eddie, Jr.   His son later played for his father at Grambling and served under him as an assistant coach.  

Family values were also fundamental to the success of current Rutgers women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer.   The distinct yet curious initial “C” has taken on meanings ranging from cheerleader to coach during her lifetime, yet it actually stands for Charlaine, a name that she was given after her father, Charlie.   Coach Stringer grew up in Edenborn, West Virginia, the oldest of six siblings (4 girls, 2 boys), raised by Charles and Thelma Stoner.   Her father toiled in the coal mines for long hours everyday to provide for his family, while her mother held things down at home.   Both parents stressed the virtues of loyalty, honesty, and dedication to their children, and they also passed along some special traits to their oldest child so that she could set a good example for her younger siblings.

At one point, when the teenaged Vivian Stoner (referred to as V.I. by friends and family)   was asked to stand before community and school board leaders to challenge a racially motivated decision preventing her from being a cheerleader for German Township High School, her father tucked her into bed while speaking the following words: “This isn’t just about you…Perhaps it’s not even for you, but for future generations of young women who deserve to be given an opportunity…I want you to think seriously about giving, because you are the one who can.”   She ended up prevailing at the challenge in front of the school board, and those future generations of German Township High School cheerleaders now include two of her nieces.  

Her mother also proved to be very adept at motivating the neighborhood boys to help with the chores around the Stoner household.   As a young girl, V.I. would always be involved in a game of basketball, softball, kickball, or even football with the kids around the neighborhood.   She was often one of the better players, and she had a knack for leading the teams as well.   As a result, the other children always came around asking for her to play providing the perfect opportunity for Mrs. Stoner to recruit them to move furniture or scrub a floor before the games could begin.   The amazing part was that instead of complaining the kids ended up wanting to do more.   V.I.’s mother had a special way with the children, always encouraging them on what a nice job they were doing and thanking them for their efforts.   Mrs. Stoner believed that it was “human nature to enjoy a kind word” and the young V.I. would carry that simple motivational skill into the coaching profession.

Other important emphases in the Stoner household were education and a commitment to excellence.   V.I.’s father had chosen to forego opportunities to go to college on football scholarships to have a family, and he had to work in the coal mines to do it.   He told his children that “If you don’t use your head, you’re going to end up using your back.”   Bad grades were not tolerated, and they prepared for individual tasks like speeches in front of one another, doing it so often that they all memorized each other’s speeches.   They also had their fun time together.   Mr. Stoner had a passion and talent for music, and on Sundays the whole family would get together and perform.   Everyone participated by playing some type of instrument.   Mr. Stoner was not a warm and fuzzy personality, but his children knew that he loved them and that he intended to prepare them for success with no excuses.   He practiced what he preached. At one point, after he had to have his legs amputated because of a circulatory disorder, Mr. Stoner chose to continue working rather than to collect disability.   He also continued to pursue his passion for music.

V.I. was the first member of her family to fulfill her parents’ expectations when she received a scholarship to attend Slippery Rock University during her senior year in high school.   Slippery Rock was also where she met her soulmate and future husband, Bill Stringer.   Bill was a senior who was on the gymnastics team and competed in a few other sports as well, and she was a starry-eyed freshman.   The initial adjustment to college life was a challenge for V.I., and it probably didn’t help that there were just a handful of Blacks on the entire campus.   She spent most of her time with Bill and playing pick-up games around campus in whatever sport she could find, but she neglected her studies and ended up nearly flunking out of school.   With the help of her younger sister and an understanding coach, she ultimately turned things around and graduated.   She and Bill also went on to get their Masters degrees from Slippery Rock while working in the Office of Student Affairs for the Recruitment of Minority Students.

Their plan was to become teachers, and after being turned down for a position at SUNY Cortland because she and Bill didn’t notify the Slippery Rock president of a Black student protest march, the future Mrs. Stringer accepted a job as a health teacher at Cheyney State College, a tiny HBCU near Philadelphia.   She and Bill were married shortly afterward in September of 1971.

In the Fall of 1972, shortly after she began teaching at Cheyney, Mrs. Stringer also accepted the additional title of Coach after the president of the school called a faculty meeting asking for volunteers to coach women’s softball, volleyball, and basketball.   Stringer was the only one to raise her hand for all three positions, and thus Coach Stringer began her new career – with her only compensation being that she could begin her regular teaching schedule slightly later each day, no classes before 8:30 am.   Coaching basketball became her passion, and because in the early years women’s basketball drew very little attention and even less revenue, she would go on to coach for eleven years before ever receiving a paycheck for her efforts.

Nevertheless, Coach Stringer continued her efforts for the love of the game, and she eventually put Cheyney on the map in grand fashion.   The team that she inherited was not very good, but with Bill away at Syracuse in medical school, the young coach spent extra time honing her craft and getting to know her players.   She even lived in one of the dormitories one year because the couple could not afford to pay for two places.   Eventually, she began to schedule Cheyney against some of the bigger state schools, and “her girls” would beat them.   Cheyney, with a student population of 1500 was rising up to beat schools with student bodies of 30,000+ like the University of Maryland, Penn State, and the University of Pittsburgh.

By 1982, Coach Stringer had the Cheyney State Lady Wolves playing in the inaugural NCAA Final Four for women’s college basketball.   The other three teams remaining in the tournament were the University of Maryland, the University of Tennessee, and Louisiana Tech University.   They ended up losing the championship game to Louisiana Tech, but Coach Stringer and her group of mainly freshmen and sophomore girls had overcome immeasurable odds to finish as one of the final two teams in that tournament.  

However, the lack of resources and funding and the task of coaching a young and inexperienced team were not the only challenges that she faced during that season.   Bill had moved back from Syracuse to pursue a doctorate in exercise physiology at Temple University with his transferred medical school credits, and the Stringer’s first child, David, had been born in August of 1979.   Bill took an active role in maintaining the family so the coach could remain dedicated to her work, but unfortunately Coach Stringer’s second child, 14-month-old Janine (nicknamed Nina), fell seriously ill in November of 1981.   Her illness turned out to be an improperly diagnosed case of spinal meningitis.   By the time that it was detected, Nina had sustained significant brain damage.   During that time, with Bill as her rock, the coach was able to persevere.   When her team found out the news, she also received their unwavering support, as the staff and players became an extension of her family.   The damage to Nina’s brain requires her to have 24-hour care for the rest of her life, but Coach Stringer’s bond with her daughter remains very special – seeing her daughter smile or laugh is always a highlight of her day.

In the year following Cheyney State’s Final Four appearance, Coach Stringer was invited to the house of Eddie Robinson (yes, the same Eddie Robinson) after a game against Louisiana Tech.   Then in his 60’s, and having already cemented his legacy at Grambling, he had some advice for Coach Stringer, who had been turning down numerous offers to coach at bigger schools.   This is what he told her, “…When the time comes…You have to consider what it means for you to assume a greater stage, and give America the opportunity to see a Black female in a head coaching position, calling the shots at a major school…I’ve been asked to coach in the pros…l know that my purpose in life is to be here.   The young people here need to learn the basic things…how to handle a fork and knife and the importance of getting an education, so they can have an impact in their turn.   I’m like a pop to them.   You on the other hand, need to open up and consider your options…you can affect far more people if you understand your destiny...”

Shortly thereafter, Coach Stringer accepted a position to coach the University of Iowa Lady Hawkeyes.   Once again, it was a basketball program that needed an overhaul, but the university medical facilities and the team of doctors that were sent to the airport to address Nina’s special needs made up for any other concerns.   Bill even secured a position at the school as an exercise physiologist and was responsible for the physical conditioning of several teams.

During their time in Iowa, Coach Stringer gave birth to another son, Justin, became a local celebrity, and of course led the Lady Hawkeyes to an NCAA Final Four appearance during the 1992-93 season.   However, at the end of 1992, the coach had to deal with yet another life trial when Bill suffered a massive heart attack and died shortly afterward.   Coach Stringer was devastated and had to spend significant time away from the team.   Her mother and a couple of siblings had moved to Iowa earlier, and they played a major role in helping her through those trying times.   She was eventually nudged to return when her son Justin (then 8-years-old) gently came to her and told her that she should go back to coach.   “What else are you gonna do...What else can you do?” he said.   It made her laugh, and after his older brother, David, reminded her of how his father, who was always in the stands with a smile, would want her back out there, she was ready to come back.   Upon her return, she realized that the young women on the team were also mourning Bill’s loss.   They were again an extension of her family, and they played for her with grit and determination throughout the rest of the season.

Coach Stringer’s next stop was New Jersey at Rutgers University in 1995.   After Bill’s death, it was hard for her to continue to stay in Iowa.   She also wanted her sons to gain a more realistic sense of what it was like to be a Black male in America away from the sheltered confines of campus life in midwestern Iowa.   During their time in Iowa, Coach Stringer had been both surprised and hurt to see her son David frightened by the sight of young Black males – who looked like him – when the family visited Philadelphia one summer.   With Bill no longer around, she was determined to make sure that her boys were prepared for the world outside of Iowa.

At Rutgers, the coach turned yet a third program around, leading the Lady Scarlet Knights to NCAA Final Four appearances in both 2000 and 2007.   However, once again the adversities of life were there to challenge her.   During the early years at Rutgers, Coach Stringer was diagnosed with breast cancer during an annual physical, and after undergoing a lumpectomy, she endured painful radiation treatments while still conducting practices and coaching the team.   She kept her illness a secret during that time, and the physical effects and mood swings that resulted from the treatments caused many people to form the wrong impression about the school’s new coach.   Then there was an incident in 1998 when her son David, who was playing football at North Carolina State, was involved in an altercation in which another young man was accidentally killed.   All of the football players associated with the incident were suspended and charges were pressed.   David ultimately ended up transferring and earning a spot on the Rutgers football team, and Coach Stringer has now been healthy for over 10 years.

Strangely, even at Rutgers, there never seemed to be much time to celebrate those glorious tournament runs.   Late in the summer of 2000, the same year of Coach Stringer’s first trip to the Final Four with Rutgers, her younger son, Justin, was seriously injured in a car accident.   He was in a coma for the initial part of his hospital stay, and as he came out of it after a few days, the doctors questioned whether his brain and neuromuscular system would ever function properly again.   Family and extended family flew in from all over to show support, and gradually after six months of therapy, Justin regained cognitive skills that the doctors had believed would be lost forever.  

Then came the 2007 Final Four appearance and the infamous Don Imus comments.   Shortly after the Rutgers team had lost a heartbreaker in the championship game to the University of Tennessee, Don Imus referred to the Rutgers ladies as “nappy-headed hoes” on his morning radio show.   The comments set off a media firestorm, and it was all that anyone wanted to talk about with the women who had worked so hard and played so well.   It was a difficult time for the coach who had always looked out for “her girls.”   This time she felt powerless in trying to protect them against something that had already happened.   Ultimately, she and her team did meet to talk about the incident and later held a press conference to address the issue and assert who they were: composers of music, writers of poetry, aspiring doctors, lawyers, and psychologists, students…young women.  

One of the sterling examples of a young woman who was coached and mentored by Coach Stringer is Jollette Law, who played for her at Iowa, coached under her for 12 years at Rutgers, and then went on to become the head women’s basketball coach at the University of Illinois in 2007.   There is also Felicia Hall, who played basketball at Iowa and went on to become an attorney that owns her own motivational speaking company.   A third one is Debra Walker, who played for the 1982 Cheyney Final Four team.   Walker’s story is the one that most epitomizes the coach’s impact.   Walker was an extremely talented player when Coach Stringer recruited her, but she had a 0.7 GPA coming out of high school and a propensity to miss class and get into trouble.   Coach Stringer promised her she would graduate if she came to play at Cheyney and was actually the only coach that mentioned education at all to the talented recruit.   Years later, when Coach Stringer was dealing with the incident involving her son David, Walker flew in just to give her a hug.   She told the coach, “I’m not here for basketball.   I just wanted to give you a hug and tell you that I love you…You saved my life.   You got me at the point when I could have gone left or right, and you made me go straight…I can never repay you for that.   I’ll help in any way that I can.”   Shortly afterward, Walker left to catch a flight home to go to work the next day.  

C. Vivian Stringer, like Eddie Robinson, has accomplished a great deal on the score sheets and in the record books.   She is first coach in NCAA history to lead three different women’s basketball programs to the Final Four.   She is the third winningest coach in women’s college basketball with over 800 victories.****   She has been coach of the year, and in 2009, she was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Michael Jordan and other NBA stars.   Yet, the more significant impact imparted by both coaches relates to the character, integrity, passion, and dedication instilled in every player that they coached.   They have shared what they know about family and community to lead their teams to be successful, and they have demonstrated by example how love and commitment can carry individuals to achieve greatness.