STANFORD, Calif. (Diya TV) — Tara VanDerveer, renowned as the NCAA’s all-time winningest basketball coach, announced her retirement after an illustrious career spanning 45 seasons, with 38 spent at Stanford. The announcement came on Tuesday, marking the end of an era for Stanford’s women’s basketball program.
VanDerveer’s coaching legacy boasts an unparalleled 1,216 total victories, achieved across her tenure at Idaho, Ohio State, and Stanford. Under her leadership, Stanford clinched three NCAA championships and made 14 Final Four appearances. Additionally, she was National Coach of the Year five times and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
Expressing gratitude for her remarkable journey, VanDerveer stated, “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.” She further emphasized her love for the game and her hope to have made a positive impact.
As negotiations proceed for her successor, Kate Paye emerges as a strong candidate. Paye, who played under VanDerveer in the ’90s and served on her staff for nearly two decades, is poised to take the reins of the program.
“Tara’s name is synonymous with the sport, and women’s basketball would not be what it is today without her pioneering work,” remarked Stanford’s Athletic Director Bernard Muir, acknowledging VanDerveer’s monumental influence on the sport and the university.
Despite her retirement from the head coaching position, VanDerveer will remain involved with Stanford and the Athletics Department in an advisory capacity.
