Stanford Cardinal's Cameron Brink, 22, became the all-time NCAA basketball coach with 1,203 wins after his Cardinals defeated the Oregon State Beavers 65-56 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. He was congratulated for his accomplishment and threw confetti at Tara VanDerveer, the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal. Sunday, January 21, 2024 (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STAMFORD — After 45 seasons with an NCAA-record 1,216 wins and three national championships, Stanford women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer calls it a career.
The legendary coach announced his retirement Tuesday night in a news release from the school's athletic department.
“Basketball is the greatest group project in the world, and I am truly grateful to everyone who has supported me and our team throughout my coaching career,” said VanDerveer, 70. he said. “For nearly 40 years, I have been blessed to mentor some of the brightest minds at some of the world's leading educational institutions.
“My time at Ohio State and Idaho, combined with my time as head coach of the U.S. national team, made for an unforgettable experience.”
There is no question who will replace VanDerveer. In the same release, the school said negotiations are underway with Kate Pay to replace Vanderveer. Paye played under VanDerveer from 1991 to 1995 and has been a part of her staff for the past 17 seasons.
Paye will become the program's fifth head coach starting in the 2024-25 season and will lead the Cardinal's transition from the Pac-12 to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Last fall, Vanderveer called the end of the Pac-12 “heartbreaking.”
“I'm having a bad dream,” she said. “This is a nightmare.”
Vanderveer's last day at Stanford will be May 8, the 39th anniversary of her arrival. Vanderveer will continue to work with the athletics department in an advisory capacity, according to a release from her school.
Before arriving on the Firm in 1985, VanDerveer was the head coach at the University of Idaho from 1978 to 1980 and at Ohio State from 1980 to 1985. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 1990s when she coached the US women's team at the 1996 Atlanta Games, leaving Stanford for just one season.
She earned her 1,203rd win with a 65-56 win over Oregon State at Maples Pavilion on Jan. 21, passing retired Duke men's coach Mike Krzyzewski as the all-time leader from last season. Became a winning coach.
VanDerveer then led the Cardinal to the Pacific-12 Conference regular season championship and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Her teams have advanced to 14 Final Fours.
“Tara's name is synonymous with our sport, and women's basketball would not be where it is today without her pioneering work,” said Stanford University Athletic Director Bernard Muir. “She has been dedicated to this campus for 40 years and is a servant to every student-athlete who has gone through her program.
“Tara quickly built one of the sport's iconic programs upon her arrival at Stanford, and maintained its standards for nearly 40 years. An energetic and positive teacher, Hall of Famer, and trusted friend. Tara's influence as a mentor and mentor is unparalleled, and I think it's fair to describe her as one of the most influential people to have ever been associated with this university. We look forward to finding an appropriate way to honor her deep influence and legacy here at Stanford.”
Under Coach Vanderveer, Stanford won national championships in 1990 and 1992. She then spent the next 30 years seeking the third place title. The Cardinal broke a drought in 2021 during the pandemic, defeating Pac-12 rival Arizona 54-53 to win the national championship. In San Antonio.
That season, Stanford played 87 nights on the road, but only six of the 33 games were played at Maples Pavilion.
Among Vanderveer's many accomplishments, his Stanford team had only one losing season, the first of which was 13-15 in 1985-1986. Only five other players finished the season with double-digit losses.
VanDerveer finished his career with a record of 1,216 wins and 271 losses. Now that she is retired, her time as college basketball's all-time winningest coach will likely end next season.
UW's Geno Auriemma, 70, ranks second in career wins. His record is 1,213 wins and 162 losses.
“She's the standard by which the rest of the players are judged in the conference and across the country,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said at Pac-12 media day last fall. “She set an incredibly high bar for all of us as coaches, coaching teams in a way that impacted her life for a long time.”
“Tara's influence is deep and wide. I attended her first camp at Stanford as a camper. I competed with her as a player and worked at her camps. And now, as a coach, I have competed with her and learned from her for many years. My coaching is based on Tara's example and direct guidance at many crossroads. You have impacted me on so many levels. Congratulations Tara on a great career. Our game, the Pac-12 Conference, and my coaching are better because of you. Retirement Enjoy. You certainly earned it.”
Carondelet High School coach Kelly Sopak said VanDerveer's impact on the girls game has been “immeasurable.”
“The game is where it is today because of three icons: Pat Summitt, Geno Auriemma and Tara VanDerveer,” Sopak said. His former point guard, Tarana Repolo, currently plays at Stanford. “A lot of schools are worried about their kids and wondering, 'Are they going to be OK?' And what happens if basketball doesn't work out? Will they still like that school or will they transfer?” Are you planning on doing so?
“We knew that if everything went well, they were going to have the best mentors, the best education, and someone to take care of them for four years at Stanford.”
In a Q&A with the San Jose Mercury News in March 2000, VanDerveer was asked if he could imagine coaching at Stanford for another 10 to 20 years.
“Certainly not 20. Maybe five, maybe 10,” VanDerveer said. “I try to think in five-year (cycles). I want to see the kids we sign as seniors.”
VanDerveer saw these kids as seniors and many others.
She didn't coach for another 20 years. She lived another 24 years.
Bay Area News Group's Joseph Dycus contributed to this report.