The NCAA’s all time winningest coach in Division 1 history, male or female, Tara VanDerveer has announced that she is retiring.
VanDerveer, who amassed 1,216 victories across 45 years on the sidelines, revealed her decision late Tuesday evening, with longtime assistant Kate Paye tapped to be her successor at Stanford. With 38 of her seasons spent at Stanford, the 70 year old became synonymous with women’s basketball on the west coast over the past several decades.
With 14 final four appearances, 3 national titles, and an induction into the basketball hall of fame already on her resume, VanDerveer ends her career with a sparkling .818 win %, cementing her status as one of the greatest collegiate coaches of all time.
“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 prepared 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.”
Despite her retirement from coaching, VanDerveer plans to continue working with Stanford’s athletic department in an advisory capacity for the 2024-25 campaign.
“Tara’s name is synonymous with the sport and women’s basketball would not be what it is today without her pioneering work,” Stanford athletics director Bernard Muir remarked. “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.”
“An energetic and positive teacher, a Hall of Famer, a trusted friend and mentor, Tara’s impact is simply unmatched, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to characterize her as one of the most influential people to ever be associated with this university. We will look forward to finding the appropriate ways to honor her deep impact and legacy here at Stanford.”
A native of Massachusetts, VanDerveer’s retirement coincides with the end of the PAC-12 as we know it as shifting conference alignments have led to the creation of new “super conferences” on the collegiate landscape. Stanford, who traditionally played teams on the west coast, will now move to the ACC to take on the likes of Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and more.
This re-alignment makes sense financially for broadcasting and sponsorship purposes, but will put a massive travel burden on teams like Stanford who will now be flying across the country for their conference schedule this fall.
VanDerveer had told media outlets back in October that she was happy that Stanford found a suitable home amidst the mass shuffling of teams last year. However, to what extent the additional travel schedule affected her decision to call time on her career is likely something only the coach herself knows for certain.
With longtime Stanford star Cameron Brink set to join the WNBA’s ranks this spring, the timing seemed fitting for the school to transition to a new era under coach Paye. For VanDerveer, her last official day at the university will be May 8th, which coincides with the 39th anniversary of her hiring.
Photo: Don Feria. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.