After 45 seasons and an NCAA-record 1,216 wins, Tara VanDerveer is calling it a career as a college basketball coach, Stanford announced Tuesday night.
The legendary VanDerveer, 70, coached Stanford for the past 38 seasons, guiding the Cardinal to 14 Final Four appearances and three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer began her coaching career at Idaho (1978-80) and also coached at Ohio State (1980-85).
Kate Paye, who played for VanDerveer and is Stanford’s associate head coach, is currently in talks with Stanford and is set to become the program’s next head coach.
“Basketball is the greatest group project there is and I am so incredibly thankful for every person who has supported me and our teams throughout my coaching career,” VanDerveer said in a statement. “I’ve been spoiled to coach the best and brightest at one of the world’s foremost institutions for nearly four decades. Coupled with my time at Ohio State and Idaho, and as head coach of the United States National Team, it has been an unforgettable ride.
“The joy for me was in the journey of each season, seeing a group of young women work hard for each other and form an unbreakable bond. Winning was a byproduct. I’ve loved the game of basketball since I was a little girl, and it has given me so much throughout my life. I hope I’ve been able to give at least a little bit back.”
VanDerveer will remain with the Cardinal in an advisory role in their athletic department, the school said.
“Tara’s name is synonymous with the sport and women’s basketball would not be what it is today without her pioneering work,” Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir said in a statement. “She has been devoted to this campus for 40 years and a servant to all the student-athletes who have come through her program.
“Tara built one of the sport’s iconic program’s almost immediately upon her arrival at Stanford, and then maintained that standard for nearly four decades.”
–Field Level Media