Stanford University women's basketball coach and gender-rights advocate Tara VanDerveer has retired after 38 seasons, media outlets reported.
In 45 years as a head coach at Idaho (1978-80), Ohio State (1980-85) and Stanford (1985-95, 1996-2024), VanDerveer amassed an NCAA-record 1,216 victories. In 38 seasons at Stanford, she led the Cardinal to three NCAA championships—1990, 1992 and 2021—and 14 Final Fours.
She became the college-basketball coach with the most wins ever on Jan. 21. After her team defeated Oregon State 65-56, VanDerveer had 1,203 career victories after surpassing legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski's record of 1,202.
VanDerveer officially announced her retirement on Tuesday, April 9. Negotiations are underway with Kate Paye, who played under VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has been a member of her staff for the past 17 seasons, to become VanDerveer's successor, according to a university press release. Paye would become the program's fifth head coach beginning with the 2024-25 season.
"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," said VanDerveer. "I've been spoiled to coach the best and brightest at one of the world's foremost institutions for nearly four decades."
According to the university website, over her career, VanDerveer became a leader in Title IX issues and gender equality, calling out the NCAA for "blatant sexism" after the weight-room disparities at the 2021 NCAA tournament, Yahoo! News noted. In 2019, she spoke out about California's SB 206, which will allow college athletes to profit off their likenesses. "I'm just hoping that women won't be left in the dust," VanDerveer said. "There's a lot of disparity between what men and women are paid in sports. There's one woman in the top 100 in terms of income—that's Serena Williams." (Williams has left tennis since this statement was made.)
A Boston native who grew up in upstate New York, VanDerveer graduated from Indiana University in 1975.
VanDerveer will continue to work with Stanford and the athletics department as an advisor.
—Andrew Davis
