C. Vivian Stringer
Age: 62. Former Iowa women’s basketball coach (1983-95), took Iowa to the NCAA Final Four in 1993, now cited as “among the most influential minorities in sports.” She helped build credibility for Iowa women’s programs. A Pennsylvania native educated there, this mother of three now has more than 800 wins, third among female coaches, and the only one ever to take three different schools to the NCAA Final Four (Cheyney, Penn., 1982), Iowa and Rutgers (2000 and 2007). She recently joined retired basketball superstar Michael Jordon in enshrinement in the national Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield, Mass.