Stanford names basketball court for Tara VanDerveer

Field Level Media|published: Thu 9th May, 21:50 2024

Jan 21, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer addresses the crowd at Maples Pavilion following her record-setting 1,203rd collegiate coaching victory, a 65-56 win over the Oregon State Beavers. credits: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Tara VanDerveer will see her legacy at Stanford remain on display moving forward, as the school announced Thursday that it is naming the floor of its basketball arena in honor of the Hall of Fame coach.

VanDerveer, 70, retired after last season, her 38th year in charge of the Cardinal.

She guided Stanford to 14 Final Fours and three national titles (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer began her coaching career at Idaho (1978-80) and also coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to become the winning college basketball coach of all time, men's or women's. VanDerveer finished with a 1,216-271 record, including a 1,064-220 mark with the Cardinal.

In addition to dedicating the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion in November, Stanford is endowing a women's basketball assistant coaching position in VanDerveer's name.

VanDerveer said in a statement, "This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women's basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women's basketball program at Maples Pavilion. It's an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall."

Stanford hired one of VanDerveer's longtime assistant coaches, Kate Paye, last month to take over as head coach. Paye, who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95, began working under VanDerveer in 2007.

—Field Level Media