Mississippi Valley State will always hold a special place in Lafayette Stribling's heart, but the winningest coach in MVSU men's basketball history is ready for a change.
Stribling, 70, notified the school Monday that he will not be returning for a 23rd season. He's retiring with 48 years of service to the state.
His contract at Valley expires June 30, and Stribling is set to become the men's basketball coach at Tougaloo College in Jackson on July 1.
"I will always love Mississippi Valley. They've been good to me, and I will always be loyal to Mississippi Valley," Stribling said. "An opportunity presented itself that I couldn't turn down. I still think I've got some good coaching years left in me."
Stribling, who was 315-207 in 22 seasons at Valley, led the Delta Devils to four Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season championships, three SWAC Tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
"The entire Mississippi Valley State University family applauds coach Stribling for his 20-plus years of service to our institution," MVSU President Lester C. Newman said in the statement. "What coach Stribling has done for our athletics program, as well as the university in general, is phenomenal."
"It really didn't catch me or anybody else here off guard because the rumors have been out there for so long," said Alonzo Hardy, Valley's athletic director. "But at the same time, we hate to see him go. He's an institution at this university. When you mention Mississippi Valley basketball, you think Lafayette Stribling.
"He took over a little-heard-of program in 1983 and elevated it into a respected national power. His winning ways has made him a college basketball icon."
Hardy said the school will immediately begin its search for Stribling's replacement. "Hopefully, the search will take no longer than two to three weeks," he said.
After 26 years in the Mississippi high school coaching ranks, Stribling took over the Delta Devils in 1983 and led them to their first winning season as a member of Division I. In 1986, Stribling led MVSU to the NCAA Tournament, where the Delta Devils put a big scare into top-ranked Duke in the first round.
"I have a lot of fond memories at Valley, but that first NCAA trip is my fondest, because of what was going on around us at the time. There was a lot of talk in the media about closing our school," Stribling recalls. "But we were the only team from Mississippi that year to make the Big Dance.
"That had to open some eyes and make it hard for the legislature to stop progress or success. Basketball, of course, isn't the reason the school wasn't shut down, but it didn't hurt anything."
Valley led Duke by three points at the half and gained a lot of national respect for pushing the Blue Devils to the brink of a huge upset, Stribling said.
"When we came out of the dressing room after the game, the Duke fans gave us a standing ovation. That sent chills over me," he explained.
Valley's latest NCAA trip came in 1996, when the Delta Devils lost to top-seeded Georgetown.
Stribling said he would have considered staying at Valley if Tougaloo hadn't pursued him, because the Delta Devils should be loaded next season.
Point guard Hosea Butler is the only starter not coming back, and Stribling has already signed a pair of all-state players from Holly Springs, the two-time state 3A champion: point guard Kenny Dawkins (18 points per game) and center Justin Nabor (12 points and 15 rebounds per game).
