Grambling State alumna Patricia Cage-Bibbs is regarded as one of the top women’s basketball coaches in the country today. During her 13 years at GSU, she energized a struggling program and made the women’s basketball program one the best in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.Bibbs got her first job coaching in 1974, when Ruston High School hired her to take over its women’s program. But it was in 1977 at Dubach High School where she would eventually make a name for herself.
In her six-year stint at Dubach, the Hornets made the playoffs every season and won two state titles, in 1981 and 1983. The two years that Dubach won the title, Bibbs was named Coach of the Year.
In 1983, she returned to her alma mater, looking to get its program off the ground. In her 13-year run at Grambling, she compiled 244 victories, which includes a 138-44 record against SWAC opponents. She also won six tournament championships, seven regular season championships and led Grambling to the NCAA Tournament three times.
After 13 seasons at Grambling, Bibbs decided to take the head coaching position at Hampton University, a position she held from 1997-2004. While at Hampton, she racked up a 95-31 career record, won three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and two regular season championships.
After the 2004 season, Bibbs retired and was pursuing business ventures, until former North Carolina AT&T chancellor James Renick convinced her to come out of retirement to coach again. Currently, she is in her third season, and her team has a record of 20-5.
Pat Bibbs has accomplished a lot in her 23 year coaching career. She has a total of 417 victories. She and Alcorn State’s Shirley Walker are the only two women from an HBCU to achieve 400 wins. Bibbs has had 10 20-win seasons, nine tournament championships and six trips to the NCAA Tournament.
Patricia Cage-Bibbs is remembered at GSU not only as a great coach but also a coach who was a master motivator and someone who took chances. Besides teaching her players basketball, she taught those she coached to behave like classy and professional young ladies.
She has defied all the odds and raised eyebrows for several things, such as:
– When at Hampton she started five guards and won a MEAC championship.
– She was the first coach at Dubach High to have an all Black starting lineup.
Some people may call her arrogant or disagree with her coaching style, but no one can say that Patricia Bibbs is not one of the best coaches in nation by far.