Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer becomes winningest coach in major college basketball, passing Mike Krzyzewski

Solely Her.

Tara VanDerveer’s face shined in each nook of Maples Pavilion with that very message. Sure, the Stanford Corridor of Famer now stands atop main school basketball because the winningest coach of all time.

“At present was simply so fantastic,” VanDerveer mentioned. Though she needed to textual content her 96-year-old mom Rita they’d have to cancel a scheduled bridge sport due to all of the postgame festivities to have fun her.

“… It’s a huge quantity and I am very appreciative of the nice gamers I’ve coached and the nice locations I have been and the eye it is delivered to girls’s basketball.”

Simply as those that love her so hoped it could prove, VanDerveer handed former Duke and Military coach Mike Krzyzewski along with her 1,203rd profession victory at residence in Maples when No. 8 Stanford beat Oregon State 65-56.

And it by no means fails that VanDerveer all the time takes a minute to thank all people for coming to the sport, and that features providing her immense gratitude to the Stanford band. On Sunday, moments after her newest outstanding milestone in a profession full of them, she politely requested the band to cease taking part in. VanDerveer took the microphone and commenced along with her phrases of appreciation as soon as extra.

“I am overwhelmed,” she advised the gang. “I am not often misplaced for phrases however it’s fairly spectacular, all these folks right here, all the previous gamers coming again.”

A head coach since age 24, VanDerveer celebrated with 1000’s of supporters and a pair dozen former gamers available to cheer her on for yet one more triumph in a adorned 45-year profession that includes so many memorable accomplishments.

And for an almost full area, this was additionally an opportunity for followers to point out their like to the Corridor of Fame coach who has been shining her gentle on girls’s basketball for 4 1/2 many years.

“Tara! Tara!” they yelled within the closing seconds earlier than the celebration started.

“This can be a great accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who’s already one of the crucial completed coaches within the historical past of basketball,” Krzyzewski mentioned in a press release. “That is yet one more milestone so as to add to a tremendous legacy. Extra vital than all of the astounding numbers and profession accomplishments, she’s positively impacted numerous lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara stays a real guardian of our sport.”

A video tribute with messages from everybody from Billie Jean King to Steve Kerr, Daybreak Staley and Coach Okay himself confirmed on the large display.

It was tense at occasions, with VanDerveer standing with arms crossed and pacing the sideline as Kiki Iriafen and her supporting forged made the large performs when it mattered most — together with Iriafen’s first 3-pointers. Stanford was lacking All-American Cameron Brink due to a decrease left leg harm suffered in Friday’s win over Oregon.

“I wish to deliver consideration to the fantastic thing about girls’s basketball and the wonderfulness of those gamers that work so laborious,” VanDerveer mentioned. “I am so jealous as a result of I by no means obtained to do what they get to do and I will watch just a little woman’s dream play out by means of them.”

Iriafen contributed a career-high 36 factors on 16-for-26 capturing and 11 rebounds and Talana Lepolo 14 factors and 6 assists for the Cardinal (17-2, 6-1 Pac-12). The sport drew a near-capacity crowd of seven,022 at Maples Pavilion, which holds 7,233.

VanDerveer improved to 1,203-267 general and 1,051-216 over 38 seasons at Stanford. A 17-time Pac-12 Coach of the Yr with 5 nationwide Coach of the Yr honors, VanDerveer has captured three NCAA titles with Stanford — 1990, ’92 and 2021 — and coached the 1996 U.S. Olympic crew to a gold medal on the Atlanta Video games throughout a 12 months away from Stanford.

Stanford led 28-22 on the break having shot simply 12 of 34 however was willed within the second half as former star gamers similar to Jennifer Azzi, Chiney Ogwumike, Ros Gold-Onwude and Jayne Appel-Marinelli had been amongst these in attendance together with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice supporting the beloved coach.

“What does it imply to me? It means every part. It is like your member of the family getting married or somebody had a child, Coach is making historical past, all of us come again and we have fun,” Ogwumike mentioned. “It is simply part of our life now. Displaying up for Tara is similar approach you present up for a sister, an aunt, a brother. She’s household to all of us.”

VanDerveer acquired heat ovations at each likelihood, from the second she walked out onto the court docket throughout pregame warmups and once more for introductions. She credited the Beavers for his or her grace in providing congratulations within the hand-shake line after the ultimate buzzer.

Raegan Beers scored 18 factors to steer Oregon State (15-3, 4-3), which had gained three straight video games.

Stanford missed 10 straight photographs throughout a first-quarter funk earlier than Brooke Demetre linked from deep on the 1:50 mark.

Oregon State coach Scott Rueck credit VanDerveer for elevating your complete convention over the many years.

“Probably the most outstanding factor about her is she’s achieved it for thus lengthy and she or he’s remained at such a excessive degree of excellence,” Rueck mentioned. “And that is her preparation, her consideration to element is the separator.”

Azzi supplied a sentiment that tons of of different former VanDerveer gamers will surely share:

“I obtained to play for the best coach of all-time.”

Extra from CBS Information