THE COPPIN CULTURE
Words by Desiree Carrizosa
LET’S BRING IT BACK to the ’90s. Back when Coppin State University ruled the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the 1996-97 squad was somethin’ different different. Coached by Ronald L. “Fang” Mitchell, the Eagles were regular season and Conference Tournament Champions, defeating North Carolina A&T in overtime. Coppin’s 20-game winning streak (the fourth in five years) didn’t stop there. This 15-seed team from Maryland shook the basketball world by beating the No. 2 seed, South Carolina, in the NCAA tournament by 13 points, becoming the first MEAC school to do so. Eagles fly high, don’t they?
Fang Mitchell still holds the title for the winningest coach in the MEAC and school