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Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer taking leave for health reasons

By Caissa Casarez

04 JAN 2015: Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach C. Vivian Stringer during the second half of the game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Iowa Hawkeyes played at The RAC on the campus of Rutgers University. The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 79-72. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
04 JAN 2015: Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach C. Vivian Stringer during the second half of the game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Iowa Hawkeyes played at The RAC on the campus of Rutgers University. The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 79-72. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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Assistant Tim Eatman will serve as the interim head coach for the Scarlet Knights through the Big Ten Tournament.

Legendary Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer will take the next few weeks off from the sidelines due to health reasons.

The school announced Sunday morning that Assistant Coach Tim Eatman will replace Stringer on an interim basis through the Big Ten Tournament in March. He led the Scarlet Knights last Thursday in an 86–76 loss at Michigan.

“As you can imagine this was not an easy decision,” Stringer said in a press release from Rutgers. “However, in consultation with my doctors, it is in my best interest to spend time to get healthy before returning to the day-to-day grind of coaching.”

Eatman previously served as the interim head coach for three games in 2016 while Stringer mourned the loss of her mother, according to Rutgers.

“I would not be able to do this without the faith in my assistants Tim Eatman, Kelley Gibson and Nadine Domond to handle the program in my absence,” Stringer said. “I know our young ladies can finish the season strong playing Scarlet Knight basketball and I will rejoin the team as soon as I can. I would like to thank the many friends, fans and members of the Rutgers Athletics community that have sent me well wishes and I look forward to seeing you all soon.”

Many in the women’s basketball world have also wished Stringer well, including South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, whom Stringer once recruited.

This season has been a historic one for Stringer, who became one of only a handful of coaches to get 1,000 career wins after Rutgers beat Central Connecticut on November 13th. The Scarlet Knights are likely to make the NCAA tournament as well, as they currently stand at 18-8 and 10-5 in the Big Ten.

Rutgers finishes out the regular season with hosting Wisconsin (Monday, Feb. 25) and Minnesota (Thursday, Feb. 28) before traveling to Ohio State (Sunday, March 3).

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