The movie "Hoosiers," George Mason University's run to the Final Four, the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team.

Slippery Rock University graduate (Charlene) Vivian Stringer is more than a fan of such things. She can identify with them.

Stringer began her current 34-year women's basketball coaching career in 1971 with Cheyney, a 1,500-student, predominantly black college near Philadelphia. Eleven years later, she guided that program to the first NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament final, where the Wolves lost to Louisiana Tech.

"Theydidn't limit your dreams back then,"Stringer said. "If you were a small school with no scholarships and wanted to compete at the highest level, go right ahead.

"That's what we wanted to do at Cheyney. Facing Maryland with its 20,000 students or Tennessee with its 25,000, it didn't matter," she added. "We didn't have weights. We had to sweep our own floor. We had to shower and dress in the dorms. I had to think of ways to challenge the girls, to teach and motivate them to compete. Then they went out and did it."

And they did it against the odds.

"We were the underdog all the time,"Stringer said. "We only had one uniform and wore it home or away. We played in a little gym. Our kids had to buy their own shoes.

"We were the have-nots. Our players did without. But those kids had pride, earned respect and felt good about themselves. It's not the size of the dog, it's the size of the heart. Cheyney is where I learned that," she added

Stringer is still competing, and while a national championship has eluded her, nothing else has.

Since graduating from SRUwith a master's degree in physical education, Stringer has compiled 750 career NCAA women's basketball victories, become the first men's or women's coach to take three schools to the Final Four and served as an assistant coach for the 2004 gold-medal winning U.S. women's basketball team.

And she never intended to embark upon a career in coaching.

"I never even thought about it," she said. "I wanted to be a teacher. I never played basketball on a high school team because my high school didn't have a team.

"I thought I wanted to be a gymnast. That was more my focus in school. I had played basketball with the boys all the time in my hometown. When I saw Slippery Rock had a women's basketball team, I couldn't wait to try out."

Stringer played point guard on SRU's women's basketball team under coach Ann Griffith in the late 1960s. She was an all-league field hockey player as well.

The Rock's basketball teams didn't lose a game for two consecutive years.

"I thought we were the best team in the world,"Stringer said, laughing. "Of course, my world wasn't all that big back then.

"I loved playing so much that I thought coaching — and not being able to play — would be the most boring job in the world. I wanted to play forever."

Once she realized that couldn't happen, coaching didn't seem so bad.

"I fell into it," Stringer said. "Once I started, I was fascinated by it. It was a way to stay involved in sports.

"It's such a privilege to work with young people between the ages of 18 and 22. You make such a powerful impact on their lives and it's an awesome responsibility."

After compiling a 251-51 record in 11 years at Cheyney, she put together a 269-84 record in 11 years at Iowa. She is 230-116 in 12 years at Rutgers.

"Going from a black college to a state that was only 2 percent minority — that was an adjustment,"Stringer said.

Now one of the most successful women's basketball coaches in history, Stringer said Slippery Rock remains a big part of her life.

She met her late husband, Bill Stringer, at SRU. He was a gymnast at the time.

"I call Dr. Griffith just to talk, about basketball or about life, to get advice. ... She remains one of my dearest friends,"Stringer said.

The one phase of college basketball she dislikes?

"Recruiting,"Stringer declared. "I've always hated it. I'm not even very good at it. But I know the kind of player I want. Surround yourself with good people, you can do amazing things.

"I never set out to take three schools to the Final Four. That just happened. That's where the good people thing comes in. It helps ... big-time.

"I'm not done yet. I'd like to win a national championship. For me, it's the missing piece of the puzzle,"Stringer added.

Here is a look at the career of Slippery Rock University graduate and current Rutgers women's basketball coach Vivian Stringer:• 2001 inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame• No. 3 on women's basketball all-time win list with 750, trailing Pat Summitt (879) of Tennessee and Jody Conradt (869) of Texas• First coach, men's or women's, to lead three different schools to the NCAAFinal Four: Cheyney, Iowa and Rutgers• Has career record of 750-251 in 34 seasons of coaching women's basketball, 230-116 in 11 years at Rutgers• Has made appearances in 19 of the 25 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournaments• Has made seven appearances in the NCAARegional Finals• Led Cheyney to the 1982 NCAATournament championship game• 32-12 as a coach in international play, including serving as an assistant coach on the 2004 gold medal-winning U.S. women's basketball team.

<I>This is one in a series of articles on Slippery Rock University graduates who have moved on to athletic careers elsewhere.</I>