ITTA BENA – Mississippi Valley State will honor two special guests Thursday during halftime of the women’s basketball game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which is set to tip off at 5:30 p.m.

Former MVSU women’s basketball coach Jessie Harris and former men’s basketball coach Lafayette Stribling will be honored for their longtime contributions to the MVSU Athletics Department.

"They both mean a lot to not only our athletic department, but our university as a whole," said MVSU Athletic Director Ashley Robinson. "We just want to show them how important they are and will continue to be to us."

Harris spent 27 years at the helm of the MVSU women’s basketball program, racking up 380 victories. In 1989, he was named Black College Coach of the Year. The 1971 MVSU graduate led the Devilettes to three SWAC championships. Harris was named SWAC Coach of the Year three times – in 1982, 1987 and 1988. He has since been inducted into the MVSU and SWAC Hall of Fame.

With Harris leading the way, during his tenure, the Devilettes defeated every school in the state including Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss. The Devilettes also made a name for themselves by defeating several major schools on the road, including Florida State in 1982 and Oklahoma in 1989.

Harris was a four-year letterman and team captain for the Delta Devils. He also served as MVSU’s women’s volleyball coach from 1989 to 2003.

MVSU will also honor Stribling, who led the Delta Devils to 305 victories during his time in Itta Bena. He served as the Valley State head men’s basketball coach for 22 years, from 1983 to 2005. He led the Delta Devils to three SWAC Tournament titles  and four regular season championships.

During the 1995-96 season, Stribling led MVSU to a 22-7 record, which still stands as the most wins in a season in school history. Stribling is also known for coaching the Delta Devils against No.1-ranked Duke in the 1986 NCAA Tournament – a game which the MVSU lost narrowly, 85-78, on national television.

Before arriving at MVSU, he had success in the high school ranks where he led South Leake High School’s boys and girls basketball teams to several district and state championships. His boys’ teams never had a losing record and he compiled an impressive record of 741-171 in his 26-year tenure. Stribling also served as the head boys basketball coach at Grenada High School during the 1982-83 season.

Stribling is a member of the MVSU and SWAC Hall of Fame.

After his time at MVSU, Stribling served as the head men’s basketball coach at Tougaloo College, where he compiled a 127-60 record. Stribling, who retired in October 2012, led Tougaloo to four GCAC regular season championships and one GCAC Tournament title. The Bulldogs made five national tournament appearances during his seven-year stint.