Tara VanDerveer becomes winningest coach in NCAA women's basketball history
Stanford's, Pac-12's iconic mentor passes Pat Summitt with 1,099th coaching victory
SAN FRANCISCO - With a 104-61 victory over Pacific on Tuesday, No. 1 STANFORD head coach Tara VanDerveer has become the winningest coach in NCAA Women's Basketball history with her 1,099th career victory.
#Pac12WBB coaches with a message for @StanfordWBB's Tara VanDerveer after becoming the all-time winningest coach in @ncaawbb history tonight! #TaraAtTheTop | #BackThePac pic.twitter.com/eIZZ6KYdcN
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) December 16, 2020
"On behalf of the entire Pac-12 family, congratulations to Coach VanDerveer on becoming the all-time winningest coach in the history of women's college basketball," said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. "Tara's unwavering commitment to the game, mentorship of generations of student-athletes and coaches, and leadership in taking Pac-12 women's basketball to new levels of success will all be a part of her incredible legacy. She has achieved all this with an incredible humility, grace and level of supportiveness, and we at the Pac-12 are so very proud to call her our own."
VanDerveer is now 1,099-253 (.813) in 42 seasons of coaching, including a 947-202 overall record (.824) in 35 seasons at Stanford. She has also compiled a 513-82 record (.862) in 34 seasons of play in the Pac-10/12 - her tenure at Stanford beginning in 1985, the year prior to the Conference's full sponsorship of women's sports.
Her daughter is now the all-time winningest coach in @ncaawbb history & Rita VanDerveer has a message for @StanfordWBB's head coach!#TaraAtTheTop | #Pac12WBB pic.twitter.com/2TAZ0awcTg
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) December 16, 2020
Her win totals - both overall and Conference - are more than double the next closest coach in Pac-12 history in ARIZONA STATE's Charli Turner Thorne (469 overall, 242 league), who was a guard on VanDerveer's first three Cardinal teams from 1985-88. VanDerveer's coaching tree has deep roots with over a dozen former players going on to pursue coaching and basketball management including Turner Thorne and current CALIFORNIA head coach Charmin Smith.
In addition to her sheer volume of victories, VanDerveer is also the league's most successful coach in terms of winning percentage - only Amy Tucker, who played for VanDerveer at Ohio State and later helped Stanford to a 29-3 and perfect 18-0 Pac-10 campaign while VanDerveer was leading the United States to a 52-0 exhibition record and gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, is ahead in the category.
History is on the horizon for @StanfordWBB's Tara VanDerveer as she eyes career wintonight!@macsmith413 takes us back to look at the top moments and milestones of VanDerveer’s illustrious career #AllTimeTara | #Pac12WBBhttps://t.co/colqTMYLJp
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) December 15, 2020
VanDerveer's extensive resume also features:
- 34 NCAA Tournament appearances
- 31 First Team All-Americans
- 30 WNBA players
- 26 WNBA Draft selections
- 22 Pac-10/12 Regular Season Championships
- 18 Pac-10/12 Players of the Year
- 15 John R. Wooden Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year awards (17 total Conference Coach of the Year awards)
- 13 Pac-10/12 Tournament Championships
- 12 NCAA Final Four appearances
- 12 WNBA Draft first-round selections
- Nine CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
- Eight National Coach of the Year awards spanning four seasons
- Eight Pac-10/12 Freshmen of the Year
- Five Pac-10/12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year
- Four Pac-10/12 Defensive Players of the Year
- Four National Players of the Year
- Two NCAA National Championships (1990, 1992)
- 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist & USA Basketball Coach of the Year
- 2002 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
- 2011 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
- 2018 WBCA Carol Eckman Award for integrity in coaching