Head Coach Tara Vanderveer
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Head Coach Tara VanDerveer Head Coach Tara VanDerveer May 1985. The Stanford Cardinal had just wrapped up a 9-19 campaign while missing the postseason for the third straight year. The day isn’t long enough for everything I The rebuilding task would be assigned to Tara VanDerveer, a then-rising star in like to do! the coaching ranks who had spent the previous five years leading Ohio State to national prominence after two successful seasons at Idaho. Fast forward to November 2007, as the Stanford Cardinal now boasts two national championships, 20 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 16 Pac-10 titles. Once a program that found itself in desperate need of a jump-start, Stanford women’s basketball has become synonymous with success. And the credit goes to VanDerveer, who has established herself as one of the top coaches in the history of both collegiate and international women’s basketball. Mood: Live life large! Regarded in the profession as one of the most well-respected and dynamic coaches in the country,VanDerveer’s enormous contributions to the sport were rec- ognized in April 2002, as she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn. An ambassador for both Stanford University and the sport of college basketball, VanDerveer has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success through an energetic and positive approach to the game. VanDerveer, an eight-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year honoree, has accumulated an impressive 689-184 (.789) record in her 28 years The Tara VanDerveer File of collegiate coaching. VanDerveer enters the 2007-08 campaign with the fourth- highest career winning percentage among active Division I women’s basketball • Two NCAA Championships coaches and has won two NCAA Championships and 18 conference titles. • Head coach of the gold medal The Cardinal finished 29-5 overall last year, claiming both the Pac-10 regular season and tournament titles while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the winning 1996 United States 20th consecutive season and 21st overall. Despite losing multiple key starters to Olympic Team injury, Stanford remained among the top-10 for most of the year and VanDerveer was honored as the 2007 Russell Athletic/WBCA Regional Coach of the Year. • Inducted into the Women’s Currently in her 22nd year as the head coach of the Stanford women’s basketball Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 program, she owns a sparkling 537-133 (.801) record. During her tenure on The Farm, she has led the Cardinal to two NCAA Championships, five NCAA Final • Five NCAA Final Four Appearances Four appearances, 15 Pac-10 titles and 19 consecutive trips to the NCAA • Three-time NCAA Coach of the Year Tournament. • 15 Pac-10 Titles Year-by-Year with Tara VanDerveer • Eight-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year Year School Record Pct. Post Season 1978-79 Idaho 17-8 .680 —— 1979-80 Idaho 25-6 .806 AIAW 1980-81 Ohio State 17-15 .531 —— 1981-82 Ohio State 20-7 .741 —— 1982-83 Ohio State 23-5 .821 —— 1983-84 Ohio State 22-7 .759 NCAA 1984-85 Ohio State 28-3 .903 NCAA Round of 8 1985-86 Stanford 13-15 .464 —— 1986-87 Stanford 14-14 .500 —— 1987-88 Stanford 27-5 .844 NCAA Round of 16 1988-89 Stanford 28-3 .903 NCAA Round of 8 1989-90 Stanford 32-1 .970 NCAA CHAMPIONS 1990-91 Stanford 26-6 .813 NCAA Final Four 1991-92 Stanford 30-3 .909 NCAA CHAMPIONS 1992-93 Stanford 26-6 .813 NCAA Round of 16 1993-94 Stanford 25-6 .806 NCAA Round of 8 1994-95 Stanford 30-3 .909 NCAA Final Four 1995-96 Coached U.S. National/Olympic Team 1996-97 Stanford 34-2 .944 NCAA Final Four 1997-98 Stanford 21-6 .777 NCAA First Round 1998-99 Stanford 18-12 .600 NCAA First Round 1999-00 Stanford 21-9 .700 NCAA Second Round 2000-01 Stanford 19-11 .633 NCAA Second Round 2001-02 Stanford 32-3 .914 NCAA Round of 16 2002-03 Stanford 27-5 .844 NCAA Second Round 2003-04 Stanford 27-7 .794 NCAA Round of 8 2004-05 Stanford 32-3 .914 NCAA Round of 8 2005-06 Stanford 26-8 .765 NCAA Round of 8 2006-07 Stanford 29-5 .852 NCAA Second Round Total (28 years) 669-184 .784 22 appearances Idaho (2 years) 42-14 .750 1 AIAW appearance Ohio State (5 years) 110-37 .748 2 NCAA appearances Stanford (21 years) 537-133 .801 19 NCAA appearances, 2 NCAA Championships 10 2007-08 Stanford Basketball Head Coach Tara VanDerveer VanDerveer’s contributions to the sport of women’s basketball reach far outside the collegiate world. She became internationally known in 1996 when she guided the United States Olympic Women’s Basketball Team to the gold medal in Atlanta. VanDerveer led the National/Olympic team, which included Stanford products Jennifer Azzi and Katy Steding, to an incredible 60-0 record from 1995-1996. Overall, VanDerveer has compiled an 88-8 (.917) record, including four gold medals, over eight head coaching stints with USA Basketball. The coaching great paved the way for many more Stanford milestones in October 2006 by signing a six-year contract extension that will keep her on The Farm through the 2011-12 campaign. VanDerveer at Stanford During the last three decades, VanDerveer’s philosophy and teaching methods have helped Stanford women’s basketball maintain a level of success that has served as a barometer for all other programs. That success has paved the way for both pro- gram milestones and individual achievement. VanDerveer, who was named the third women’s basketball coach in Stanford University history on May 7, 1985, has guided the Cardinal to a 537-133 record in 21 seasons, including a 305-55 record in regular season Pac-10 play. Under her leadership, Stanford has captured two NCAA Titles and made five Final Four appearances. Additionally, her teams have reached the Elite Eight 10 times and the Sweet 16 on 13 occasions. VanDerveer’s teams are 47-19 (.712) in NCAA Tournament play. With a 32-3 record in 2004-05, the Cardinal has won 30 or more games six times and 20 or more games 17 times under VanDerveer’s guid- ance. VanDerveer’s teams have also compiled a 286-31 (.902) home record during her tenure, and with a 13-0 mark in 2004-05, have posted seven perfect seasons at Maples Pavilion. Stanford teams have been dominant in both the Pac-10 and nationally, as evi- dent by VanDerveer’s numerous awards. She is a three-time National Coach of the Tara VanDerveer, seen with former President Bill Clinton (right), coached the U.S. Year (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90), a four-time District Coach of the Year (1987-88, National Team to the Olympic Gold Medal in 1996. 1988-89, 1989-90. 2006-07), and has been named Pac-10 Coach of the Year eight times (1988-89, 1989-90, 1994-95, 1996-97, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06). VanDerveer’s alumnae have also made their mark on the professional level in Additionally, VanDerveer earned Northern California Women’s Intercollegiate both the WNBA and the ABL. In 2001, Stanford had a league-high 10 players on Coach of the Year honors five times in a six-year span in the late 80’s and early 90’s WNBA rosters. That dominating trend stretches back to 1996, when Stanford had (1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1992-93). nine players on opening day rosters in the ABL’s inaugural season, the most of any Perhaps one of VanDerveer’s most notable attributes is her ability to connect institution. Last year, Brooke Smith and Kristen Newlin became Stanford’s first with student-athletes and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. WNBA selections since Nicole Powell in 2004. Considered one of the nation’s premier recruiters, VanDerveer and her staff rou- NCAA Champions tinely bring top classes to The Farm. The Stanford staff brought in the likes of VanDerveer earned her first NCAA Championship in 1989-90, after the Cardinal Jennifer Azzi and Kate Starbird, both of whom won women’s basketball’s highest won its first 20 games en route to a 32-1 overall mark. Stanford set more than 100 individual honor – the James Naismith National Player of the Year Award (Azzi school, Pac-10 and NCAA postseason records during that campaign. After defeat- 1989-90; Starbird 1996-97) – as well as First-Team Kodak All-Americans Candice ing Mississippi and Arkansas in the NCAA West Regional at Maples Pavilion, the Wiggins (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07), Nicole Powell (2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04), Cardinal continued to roll with a 75-66 win over Virginia in the semifinals and an Kristin Folkl (1997-98), Sonja Henning (1990-91) and Val Whiting (1991-92, 1992- 88-81 victory over Auburn in the final to capture its first-ever NCAA title. 93). Overall, VanDerveer has guided her players to two Naismith Player of the Year The Cardinal earned its second championship in 1991-92, despite the loss of honors, 14 Kodak First-Team All-America honors, 11 Pac-10 Player of the Year three First-Team All-Pac-10 players (Sonja Henning, Trisha Stevens and Julie awards, 42 First-Team All-Pac-10 selections and 32 appointments to USA Zeilstra) from the previous season. The Cardinal won its first 10 games, finished 15- Basketball teams. Career Milestone Wins Stanford Milestone Wins Win School Date Opponent Score Win Date Opponent Score Site 1 Idaho Dec.