NCAA's winningest coach, Tara VanDerveer, retires after 38 seasons

An era has ended in the Stanford women's basketball program as longtime head coach Tara VanDerveer has announced her retirement at 70.

VanDerveer finishes with an all-time record of 1,216-271 (81.8 percent). She stands still as the NCAA's winningest basketball coach across 45 years. She previously coached at Idaho and Ohio State before making her long stay at Stanford.

"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."

Tara VanDerveer as a player

Before coaching, VanDerveer was a standout player for Indiana. She transferred to Indiana in 1972 after playing one season in Albany. She ended up being a three-year starter and led the team to the AIAW Final Four in 1973. She was inducted into the Indiana Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.

Before knowing she would be a coach, she took Bob Knights classes as a student. She filled up notebooks while attending the men's team's practices as a player. She and Knight remained close in the years that followed.

The early years in coaching

VanDerveer's head coaching career began at the University of Idaho, where she led the program in 1978. After two seasons, though, she returned to Ohio State, where she first began coaching as an assistant coach.

Once she was in the head coaching position at Ohio State, winning came quickly for her teams. She led them to the Big Ten Title and NCAA Tournament appearances in her third, fourth, and fifth seasons in Columbus. She stayed in Columbus for five seasons and grew the program to national prominence. While she was coaching for the Buckeyes, she also won Big Ten Coach of the Year twice.

Tara VanDerveer's time at Stanford

Stanford was coming off two losing seasons when they decided to hire VanDerveer. That soon ended after she took over the program.

In her third season with the team, she guided them to their first NCAA tournament appearance in six years. Since then, they have been in the tournament every year.

Her first NCAA title came in 1990 when the Cardinals defeated Auburn 76-60. It also was the program's first title ever.

The team returned to the national championship two years after the first title. The Cardinals defeated Western Kentucky to earn their second title in program history. It was a team that could have been more noticed, considering they lost three starters from the prior year's team. But VanDerveer coached them no differently.

In 2002, VanDerveer was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame almost a decade later. On Dec. 15, 2020, she passed the late legendary Pat Summitt to become the winningest women's basketball coach with 1,098 career victories.

Twenty-nine years after her last NCAA title, she added her third championship in 2021. It came under difficult circumstances right after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tournament was played in a bubble with few fans but that didn't stop the Cardinals. They defeated Arizona 54-53 as a No. 1 seed.

With the victory over Oregon State on Jan. 21, 2024, she passed Mike Krzyzewski to become the winningest coach in college basketball, men's or women's. To celebrate the accomplishment, roughly 30 of her former players were in the crowd to support their old coach.

Tara VanDerveer coaching Team USA

In the 1995-96 season, she took the season off at Stanford to lead the U.S. women's national team at the Olympics. Her team defeated Brazil to win the gold medal.

That win for the gold helped pave the way for the launch of the WNBA in 1997.

Notable VanDerveer players

Throughout her time, she has coached and mentored some of the greatest players in women's basketball history.

"There's so many Stanford success stories out there," said VanDerveer. "They come back and say to me, 'When things get tough, I learned how to be resilient at Stanford. I learned how to balance my time at Stanford. I gained confidence at Stanford. So I'm really proud of that."

Nneka Ogwumike

This list is always led by Nneka Ogwumike, who is the eldest Ogwumike sister and has had the best WNBA career of any Stanford graduate. She was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2012 and has averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in her 12 seasons. She won the 2016 MVP award and has been named All-WNBA six times, All-Defensive team six times, and an All-Star eight times.

During her time at Stanford, she was a three-time All-American and helped the Cardinals make four consecutive Final Four appearances. She ranks fifth in Stanford history in scoring average and rebounding average and third in total points with 2,491.

Candice Wiggins

Wiggins hold the highest scoring average in program history with 19.2 points per game. She also leads in free throws (556) and steals (281) and is second in 3-pointers (295). As a freshman and sophomore she led Stanford to the Elite Eight. Then as a senior she led the team to its first Final Four in 11 years.

She went on to be the third pick in the 2008 WNBA draft, where she won a championship in 2011.

Jennifer Azzi

The force that was Azzi, led Stanford to its first Final Four and first NCAA title. She was the winner of the Wade Trophy and Naismith Award as the national player of the year in 1990.

She is the program leader in 3-point shooting percentage and ranks second in assists. Many call Azzi one of the top reasons that Cardinal women's basketball was put on the map.

Azzi also played for VanDerveer on the 1996 Olympic team. She played in both the ABL and WNBA. During her five seasons in the WNBA, she averaged 9.1 points and 4.5 assists.

Chiney Ogwumike

Chiney followed her sister Nneka to Stanford where she then became the Cardinals all-time leader in points and rebounds. She was a three time All-American and helped the program make three Final Four appearances.

Ogwumike won the Wooden Award in 2014 and then was the No. 1 overall pick in the same year in the WNBA draft.

In her seven seasons in the WNBA, she has battled injuries but is a two-time All-Star.

Other notable players

The list can go on and on for the players that played under VanDerveer. But other names include Nicole Powell, Jayne Appel, Kate Starbird, Kayla Pedersen, Val Whiting, and Haley Jones.

The most recent prodigy from VanDerveer, however, is Cameron Brink. The expected lottery pick in this year's WNBA draft left her strong mark on the program leading them to their third program title in 2021.

She is known for her double-doubles and strong defensive abilities. The 2024 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year has taken the nation by storm with her dynamic play on the court. This season, she averaged 17.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game.

What the future holds for Stanford

Negotiations are underway for Kate Paye, a former player under VanDerveer in the 90s and a member of her staff for nearly 20 years, to take over as head coach.

While retiring, VanDerveer will remain at Stanford and the athletics department and participate in an advisory capacity.

VanDerveer's last official day at Stanford will be May 8, which is the 39th anniversary of when she was hired.