Stanford women’s basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer, the winningest coach in NCAA history, announced her retirement Tuesday after 38 seasons with the team.
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During Wednesday’s press conference which was packed with media, room went silent when VanDerveer, 70, wearing a white shirt with a small red Stanford logo, leaned up next to the microphone and began to read from a prepared statement. She thanked her parents, coaches, players and administrators as she walked away from the job she held since 1985.
“Just walking into Maples for practice and hearing the balls bouncing and the music playing has brought me great joy,” VanDerveer said. “Coaching has never felt like a j-o-b job.”
But even though Stanford has longtime assistant Kate Paye ready to take over, and an advisory position in the athletic department lined up for VanDerveer, the legendary coach still wrestled with her decision to step away from the only career she’d known.
“I just felt I am ready,” VanDerveer said. “I never really thought I would be. I kind of just felt that I would keel over on the bench because I love it. I love it. I love it.”
When she reflected upon her long career, the winningest coach in college basketball history didn’t have anything to complain about.
“Nothing short of magical,” VanDerveer said.
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer speaks to the crowd after becoming the winningest NCAA basketball coach in history at 1,203 wins at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. Stanford beat the Oregon State Beavers 65-56. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal’s Cameron Brink (22) dumps confetti on Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer as she is congratulated following Stanfords’ 65-56 win over Oregon State Beavers to become the winningest NCAA basketball coach in history at 1,203 wins at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer poses for a picture with her team after becoming the winningest NCAA basketball coach in history with 1,203 wins at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. Stanford beat the Oregon State Beavers 65-56. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer is congratulated by Stanford Cardinal’s Jzaniya Harriel (32) following Stanfords’ 65-56 win over Oregon State Beavers to become the winningest NCAA basketball coach in history at 1,203 wins at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer is celebrated by her team after a win over Oregon at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, for her 1,202nd victory, tying her with Mike Krzyzewski for the most wins by a college basketball coach. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer, center, poses for a players photograph with Brian Shank, technology coordinator, and Britney Anderson, assistant coach, after they were announced as a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 12, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
A fan shows off their Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer bobblehead at halftime between the Cardinal and Arizona Wildcats at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD – APRIL 5: Stanford Cardinal women’s basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer, right, holds the NCAA championship next to associate head coach Kate Paye, left, as people gather to celebrate the teams’ championship on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, Calif., on Monday, April, 5, 2021. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)
Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer, far right, dances with her team and Stanford Soul Line Dance after their 77-56 win over Washington at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Tara VanDerveer, head coach of the Stanford University Women’s basketball team, instructs Francesca Belibi (left) and Jenna Brown (54) at Maples Pavilion, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer celebrates her 1,000th coaching victory at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. VanDerveer becomes the third Division 1 basketball coach to win 1,000 games. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer talks to Stanford’s Karlie Samuelson (44) during their game against South Dakota State in the second quarter of the 2016 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship second round game at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Monday, March 21, 2016. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer high-fives her team during a time out during their game against the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners in the third quarter at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif, on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer holds the trophy after the Stanford Cardinal beat the University of North Carolina Tar Heels 74-65 to win their regional final for the NCAA college basketball tournament in Stanford, Calif., on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer yells at a referee during their game against the Michigan Wolverines in the first half for their second round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. (Nhat V. Meyer/Staff)
The Stanford Cardinal bench including Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer cheer for a basket during their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half for the NCAA Basketball Championship Division I Women’s Regional Semifinal at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on Saturday, March 24, 2012. (Nhat V. Meyer/Staff)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer talks to the bench during their game against the St. John’s University Red Storm’s in the second half for the Second Round for the 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championships at Maples Pavilion at Stanford, Calif. on Monday, March 21, 2011. (Nhat V. Meyer/ Mercury News)
Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer signs autographs following their 100-45 win against the University of San Francisco Dons for VanDerveer’s 800th career win at the War Memorial Gym at University of San Francisco in San Francisco, Calif. on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. (Nhat V. Meyer/ Mercury News)
Stanford’s head coach Tara VanDerveer celebrates after cutting down the net after their 55-53 win against Xavier for their Regional final for the 2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship at Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif. on Monday, March 29, 2010. (Nhat V. Meyer/Mercury News)
Stanford Cardinal’s head coach Tara VanDerveer chats with player Jayne Appel, #2, while playing the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half of the Berkeley Regional Semifinals of the 2009 NCAA Div. I Women’s Basketball Championship on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)
Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer cheers her team on in the first half at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash. on Monday, March 31, 2008. The University of Maryland Terrapins played the Stanford Cardinal in the Spokane regional finals of the women’s 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament. (Jim Gensheimer/Mercury News)
Stanford’s head coach Tara Vanderveer, right, gets congratulated by her team, including guard Candice Wiggins, center, and Hannah Donaghe, left, after they beat Washington State 105-47 to give her the 700th win of her coaching career in a college basketball game, Friday, Dec. 28, 2007 in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Dino Vournas)
Stanford’s head coach Tara VanDerveer watches her team play against University of Arizona in the first half for Game 5 of the Pac-10 Women’s Basketball Tournament at HP Pavilion on Saturday, March 4, 2006. (Nhat V. Meyer / Mercury News)
Stanford’s head coach Tara VanDerveer, center, talks to her team, including Candice Wiggins, #11, during a time-out during their game against the University of Arizona in the second half at Stanford on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005. Stanford won 91-74. (Nhat V. Meyer/Mercury News)
Stanford women’s basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer plays her grand piano at her home in Stanford, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2004. On top of leading one of the nation’s best women’s basketball teams, Stanford’s 18th-year coach constantly reminds herself to curve her fingers and sit up straight when she’s at the keyboard. She just finished her third CD, but only for the enjoyment of family and friends. On road trips, she finds hotels with pianos so she can fit in herdaily practice, and sometimes serenades her team during meals in the process. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Tara VanDerveer sends Nicole Powell back into the game in the middle of the second half. She had four fouls. The Stanford Cardinal lost to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers 56-68 in the NCAA women’s West Subregional second round at Maples Pavilion on Monday, March 24, 2003 in Stanford, California. (Jim Gensheimer/Mercury News)
The Stanford Lady Cardinal’s head coach Tara VanDerveer, center cheers her team during the last minutes of the game against University of Colorado’s in Boise, Idaho Saturday evening March 23, 2002. (Penny De Los Santos/Mercury News)
Stanford’s head coach Tara VanDerveer, center, keeps an eye on the action during a game against the University of San Francisco in the second half at Maple’s Pavillion on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2001. (Nhat V. Meyer/Mercury News)
Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer is cheered on her 500th career victory after Stanford’s 73-65 win over Pacific, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2000, in Stanford, Calif. (David Gonzales/Stanford University via AP)
Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer, left and the team celebrate at the end of the first half when they took a 7-point advantage over Purdue on March 31, 1995. (Michael Rondou/Mercury News)
Stanford women’s basketball head coach Tara VanDerveer celebrates her team’s 1992 NCAA championship win with three players in 1992. (Stanford Athletics)
