Over the Halloween weekend former Tougaloo and Mississippi Valley State basketball coach Lafayette Stribling died. Coach Strib, as he was called, led Mississippi Valley to multiple NCAA tournaments and SWAC championships. He also led Tougaloo to 5 national tournament appearances as well. Also known for his fashion and sharp suits Coach Strib lived to be 87 years old.TOUGALOO STATEMENT Coach Lafayette Stribling passes away at 87 For Immediate Release By Kathleene Quinn Tougaloo, Miss., Nov. 3, 2021 – Former Tougaloo College men’s basketball coach Lafayette Stribling passed away on Saturday, October 30, 2021. He was known as Coach “Strib” to many athletes and friends, and served as an inspiration for Mississippians. He led the team to five national tournaments during his seven-year career at Tougaloo. He entered the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Hall of Fame in 2006, and he was named Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) coach of the year three times. In addition, Coach Stribling was famously remembered as the legendary coach who took the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils to play against Duke University for a championship game in 1986. The Tougaloo College community is deeply saddened by the loss of an iconic figure in the sport of basketball. Coach Stribling perhaps was known for his incredible determination against all odds and to prove the doubters wrong. As one of Mississippi’s most accomplished basketball coaches, he won the hearts of many fanatics, who were always excited to see his attire on the court in every match his teams played. “Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of Coach Lafayette Stribling. As part of the Tougaloo family, Coach Stribling served as an inspiration to many young athletes, with his great examples of self-discipline, hard work and perseverance to accomplish the difficult challenges not only in sports, but in life. He will be truly missed, and our thoughts and prayers are extended to all those he leaves behind,” said Dr. Carmen J. Walters, President of Tougaloo College. In honor of Coach Stribling’s legacy, the College is pleased to release a mini-documentary entitled “Lafayette Stribiling: Life on the Full Court” available online at https://vimeo.com/504101343. About Tougaloo College Tougaloo College is a private, independent, liberal arts institution, offering undergraduate degrees in twenty-nine majors in the areas of education, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, and graduate degrees in education. Since its founding in 1869, the College has maintained a rich tradition of excellence, relevance, and influence, creating a legacy of distinction in higher education. Tougaloo College was awarded $6 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for the renewal of the Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training Center. Some of Tougaloo College’s remarkable alumni include Congressman Bennie G. Thompson; Tougaloo President Emerita Dr. Beverly Wade Hogan; NAACP President Derrick Johnson; Justice Reuben V. Anderson; Engineer and Educator Eugene DeLoatch; and Astrophysicist Hakeem M. Oluseyi.