Tara Vanderveer
Encyclopedia
Tara VanDerveer has been the Stanford University
women's basketball
coach since 1985. She led the Stanford Cardinal
to two NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
s: in 1990 and 1992. She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team
head coach at the 1996 Olympic Games. VanDerveer is the 1990 Naismith National Coach of the Year and a ten-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year. She is also one of only six NCAA Women's Basketball coaches to win at least 800 games.
VanDerveer was a standout player at Indiana University, and later coached at the Ohio State University
. VanDerveer is also an avid piano player. Her sister Heidi VanDerveer
, who coached for several years with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx
and Seattle Storm
, now coaches at Occidental College
in Los Angeles.
Vanderveer's Olympic team was considered one of the best ever assembled, and complied an 80–0 record over the course of the year, culminating in an gold medal at the Olympics in Atlanta.
VanDerveer was awarded the US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Coach of the Year award in 1990.
VanDerveer was awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award by the United States Sports Academy
in 1995.
In 2002, VanDerveer was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
, located in Knoxville, Tennessee
.
In 2011, VanDerveer was named as the WBCA Division I Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.
In 2011, VanDerveer was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach since 1985. She led the Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
to two NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
s: in 1990 and 1992. She stepped away from the Stanford program for a year to serve as the U.S. national team
United States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
head coach at the 1996 Olympic Games. VanDerveer is the 1990 Naismith National Coach of the Year and a ten-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year. She is also one of only six NCAA Women's Basketball coaches to win at least 800 games.
VanDerveer was a standout player at Indiana University, and later coached at the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. VanDerveer is also an avid piano player. Her sister Heidi VanDerveer
Heidi VanDerveer
Heidi VanDerveer is a women's basketball collegiate and professional coach. She is currently the head coach at Occidental College.VanDerveer served as a basketball coach in the WNBA, as an assistant with the Seattle Storm, and had been the Minnesota Lynx second head coach in 2002 after Brian Agler...
, who coached for several years with the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
and Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, now coaches at Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
in Los Angeles.
Vanderveer's Olympic team was considered one of the best ever assembled, and complied an 80–0 record over the course of the year, culminating in an gold medal at the Olympics in Atlanta.
VanDerveer was awarded the US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) Coach of the Year award in 1990.
VanDerveer was awarded the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award by the United States Sports Academy
United States Sports Academy
The United States Sports Academy is an accredited, sport-specific institution located in Daphne, Alabama. It offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs as well as certificate programs. Founded in 1972, the Academy has provided its sports programs to more than 60 countries around the...
in 1995.
In 2002, VanDerveer was elected to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
, located in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
.
In 2011, VanDerveer was named as the WBCA Division I Women's Basketball Coach of the Year.
In 2011, VanDerveer was named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
| Year | School | Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | Idaho | 17–8 | ––– |
| 1979–80 | Idaho | 25–6 | AIAW First Round |
| 1980–81 | Ohio State | 17–15 | ––– |
| 1981–82 | Ohio State | 20–7 | NCAA First Round |
| 1982–83 | Ohio State | 23–5 | ––– |
| 1983–84 | Ohio State | 22–7 | NCAA First Round |
| 1984–85 | Ohio State | 28–3 | NCAA Elite 8 |
| 1985–86 | Stanford | 13–15 | ––– |
| 1986–87 | Stanford | 14–14 | ––– |
| 1987–88 | Stanford | 27–5 | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 1988–89 | Stanford | 28–3 | NCAA Elite 8 |
| 1989–90 | Stanford | 32–1 | NCAA Champions |
| 1990–91 | Stanford | 26–6 | NCAA Final Four |
| 1991–92 | Stanford | 30–3 | NCAA Champions |
| 1992–93 | Stanford | 26–6 | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 1993–94 | Stanford | 25–6 | NCAA Elite 8 |
| 1994–95 | Stanford | 30–3 | NCAA Final Four |
| 1995–96 | U.S. National Team and U.S. Olympic Team head coach | ||
| 1996–97 | Stanford | 34–2 | NCAA Final Four |
| 1997–98 | Stanford | 21–6 | NCAA First Round |
| 1998–99 | Stanford | 18–12 | NCAA First Round |
| 1999–00 | Stanford | 21–9 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2000–01 | Stanford | 19–11 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2001–02 | Stanford | 32–3 | NCAA Sweet 16 |
| 2002–03 | Stanford | 27–5 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2003–04 | Stanford | 27–7 | NCAA Elite 8 |
| 2004–05 | Stanford | 32–3 | NCAA Elite 8 |
| 2005–06 | Stanford | 26–8 | NCAA Elite 8 |
| 2006–07 | Stanford | 29–5 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2007–08 | Stanford | 35–4 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2008–09 | Stanford | 33–5 | NCAA Final 4 |
| 2009–10 | Stanford | 36–2 | NCAA Runner-Up |
| 2010–11 | Stanford | 33–3 | NCAA Final 4 |
| Totals |
|---|
| Career: 757–193 (30 seasons) |
| at Stanford: 605–142 (23 seasons) |
| at Ohio State: 110–37 (5 seasons) |
| at Idaho: 42–14 (2 seasons) |