Bibbs wins her ninth Coach of the Year Honor

RALEIGH, N.C., March 10, 2008 – When the story of North Carolina A&T women’s basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs’ coaching career is completed, the one undeniable truth history can not ignore is her consistency of excellence regardless of the women’s college basketball program she led.

Bibbs has rebuilt all three programs she has coached. She has won regular-season conference championships at all three programs she has coached. And on Monday night, she remained consistent with yet another honor.

Bibbs was named MEAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year at the annual MEAC Tip-Off Banquet held at the North Raleigh Hilton on Monday. It was Bibbs’ ninth coach of the year honor in 23 years as a head coach. She won seven SWAC coach of the year awards at Grambling, and she won one MEAC Coach of the Year award at Hampton. Monday marked Bibbs’ first coach of the year honor in 10 years.  
                                                                                                             Bibbs accepts the Aggies regular-season championship trophy.

“I would like to thank my daughter and my husband for bringing me back to the profession I love so much,’’ said Bibbs, who retired from coaching after the 2003-04 season at Hampton, but returned in 2005-06 at the urging of her daughter Satin and her husband Ezil. “If it had not been for them I wouldn’t have gotten an opportunity to coach this incredible group of ladies, and so I thank God I didn’t miss out on that.”

The incredible group Bibbs referred to have re-written the record books this season at N.C. A&T. The Aggies head into this week’s MEAC Tournament as the regular-season champions after compiling a 23-6 overall record and a 15-1 conference mark. The Aggies’ 23 overall wins are a school record as well as their 15 conference wins. The 2007-08 Aggies also hold school records in points scored, points per game, assists, steals, scoring margin, and field goals made. They are closing in on a few other marks, including 3-pointers made in a season and total rebounds in a season. The Aggies come into this week ranked second in the nation in steals.

Bibbs, who has won 20 more games in her career 11 times, also led the Aggies to their first regular-season championship in 18 years; and brings them into the tournament as the favorite to win the program’s first tournament title in 14 years. For Bibbs, it was her 11^th career regular-season title.

“There are some things you need to work in your favor in order to have a great season like we have had this year,’’ said Bibbs, who won her 400^th career game back on Nov. 23 when the Aggies defeated UNC-Asheville. “You need God first. You need a supportive spouse. You have to have great people working for you and I have that in my assistant coaches. Finally, you need a group of young ladies who are focused on team goals and these young ladies have been tuned in to what we are trying to get across to them most of the season.”

Bibbs only needs to win a conference tournament championship at N.C. A&T to become one of the few coaches in the history of NCAA women’s college basketball to win a tournament title at three different universities.