Lafayette Stribling
Lafayette Stribling (1934-2021)
Teams coached: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils, Tougaloo Bulldogs
Mississippi Valley State record: 305-318 (.490)
Tougaloo record^: 127-60 (.679)
Overall record^: 432-378 (.533)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3 (1986, 1992, 1996)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 0
- SWAC Regular Season Champion: 4 (1992, 1996, 1997, 2004)
- GCAC (NAIA) Regular Season Champion: 4 (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012)
- SWAC Tournament Champion: 3 (1986, 1992, 1996)
- GCAC (NAIA) Tournament Champion: 1 (2011)
- NAIA Division II Tournament Appearances: 5 (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
Awards:
- SWAC Coach of the Year: 3 (1992, 1997, 2004)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
2005-2012 | Tougaloo |
1983-2005 | Mississippi Valley State |
Lafayette Stribling Facts
- Lafayette Stribling
- Born June 1, 1934
- Died October 30, 2021
- Hometown: Carthage, Mississippi
- Alma Mater: Mississippi Industrial College (BA, 1957)
- Started his coaching career at alma mater Harmony Vocational HS in Carthage, MS
- Coached at South Leake HS (MS) from 1957-81, leading both the boys’ and girls’ teams
- Went undefeated with both teams in 1981 and won State Championships with each
- Was 741-171 overall as the head boys’ basketball coach
- Spent one year at Grenada HS (MS) before arriving at Mississippi Valley State in 1983
- Coaching the Delta Devils for the next 22 seasons, compiling an overall record of 305-318
- Won four SWAC titles and three SWAC Tournaments to earn three NCAA Tournament bids; was a three-time SWAC COY
- In 1986, the 16-seed Devils played 1-seed Duke tight before ultimately falling by just 7 points
- Inducted into the MVSU Sports HOF and had the playing floor at the Harrison HPER Complex named after him
- Won four SWAC titles and three SWAC Tournaments to earn three NCAA Tournament bids; was a three-time SWAC COY
- Last head coaching job was at NAIA Tougaloo College (MS), where he went 127-60 over seven seasons
- Won four GCAC titles and reached the NAIA National Tournament five times
- His 2010-11 team, dubbed the “Magnificent Seven,” won the GCAC and went to the national tournament with just seven players on the roster
- Stribling passed away on October 30, 2021 in Jackson, MS at the age of 87
- Inducted into the Mississippi Association of Coaches HOF, SWAC HOF and Mississippi Sports HOF
Lafayette Stribling Coaching Tree
- George Ivory (Mississippi Valley State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA levels