Bibbs wins her 10^th coach of the year honor

WINSTON-SALEM, March 9, 2009 – When North Carolina A&T women’s basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs walked and spoke at the podium after being named the 2008-09 MEAC Coach of the Year at the Benton Convention Center Monday night, there was no way she could hide her reaction with words.

She was astonished after winning the award two consecutive years.

“There was no way I thought I was going to win it this year,’’ said Bibbs, who led the Aggies to their second straight MEAC regular-season crown with a 23-6 overall record and 15-1 mark in the MEAC. “I think you could tell when I was up there speaking that I had no idea I would win this year. It is rare that you when the award two years in a row and it is even more of a rarity to win it after your team was picked to win the conference in the preseason. I truly want to thank my peers for this recognition. It is hard to stay on top when everyone is gunning for you.”

When Bibbs returns to her Louisiana home this summer, she will have yet another award to add to her mantle. Bibbs has won coach of the year 10 times in her 24-year career. Seven of those came when she was the head coach at Grambling State for 13 seasons.

She also won one at Hampton University. Bibbs can also marvel at her 12^th regular-season championship trophy in 24 years. As the Aggies enter the 2009 MEAC Tournament, Bibbs is looking to capture her 10^th tournament championship and she is trying to make her seventh NCAA Tournament.

Bibbs will come into the Aggies quarterfinal game on Wednesday with a 445-252 record. She is 74-46 in four seasons as the Aggies head coach.

“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,’’ she continued. “My accomplishments are not possible without great assistant coaches and great players. I feel like I have some of the best coaches and players in the country.”

Under Bibbs’ leadership, the Aggies have put together back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in school history. Bibbs has also presided over the program’s first MEAC Rookie of the Year in Ta’Wuana Cook in 2007. Also under Bibbs, the Aggies have had three different players earn first-team all-conference. On Monday, senior forward Brittanie Taylor-James earned conference player of the year.

“The individual awards are nice, but we came here this week to win a championship as a team,’’ said Bibbs. If the Aggies can do that, there will be no surprises there.