Tara VanDerveer, who coaches at Stanford University, has already surpassed all other major college basketball coaches in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in terms of wins.
"I'm very appreciative of all the great players I've coached and the great places I've been and the attention this brought to women's basketball," she told reporters, including ABC News.
A 65-56 win against Oregon State at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California, on Sunday, January 21, gave VanDerveer her 1,203rd career victory. By number, VanDerveer topped Mike Krzyzewski, a former men's coach at Duke University.
'Amazing Legacy'
In a post-game video presentation, Krzyzewski--who had held the record since 2019--congratulated VanDerveer.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball. This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and career accomplishments, she's positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara remains a true guardian of our sport," he stated, according to ESPN.
Other speakers include former VanDerveer players Jennifer Azzi, Chiney Ogwumike, and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Additionally, South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, Billie Jean King of the tennis world, and Lisa Leslie of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) also gave out their congratulatory messages.
Vanderveer's 1,203rd Win
The Stanford Cardinal (17-2, 6-1 Pac-12) overcame a sluggish start to guarantee that VanDerveer would set a new record in front of their home fans, even if standout big Cameron Brink was out with a knee injury in a victory on Friday, January 19, against Oregon.
Cardinal junior Kiki Iriafen had a monster game, leading the team in scoring 36 points and 12 rebounds, with fellow player Talana Lepolo contributing 14 points. Lepolo said that playing in front of a sold-out gym made her nervous, but she felt obligated to win so that they could honor their coach at home.
Out of 7,022 viewers, around 30 were former VanDerveer players, including Ogwumike, Azzi, Ros Gold-Onwude, and Jayne Appel. Andrew Luck, a former Stanford quarterback, was also present.
Although they were down 29-28 at the start of the third quarter, Stanford ended the period on a 22-14 surge, putting them in control heading into the fourth.
VanDerveer, who is 70 years old, is now in her 38th season as head coach at Stanford. Her prior assignments were in Idaho from 1978 to 1980 and Ohio State from 1980 to 1985.
Stanford has been to the Final Four 14 times, won the Pac-12 regular season 25 times, achieved three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021), and made 34 appearances in the NCAA tournament under her guidance.
