Former Indiana women's player Tara VanDerveer retires as Stanford's coach
Stanford women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer announced her retirement late Tuesday night. The Indiana women's basketball alum steps away from the game as the NCAA's all-time winningest coach.
The school announced VanDerveer longtime assistant Kate Paye would take over as coach.
Stanford is scheduled to visit Assembly Hall for the first time in 2024 to complete a home-and-home series that was announced last year.
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VanDerveer's tenure at the school dates back to the 1985 season after stints as the head coach at Idaho and Ohio State. She led the Cardinals to three NCAA titles (1990, 1992 and 2021) and 14 final fours. She also had success coaching for USA Basketball with four gold medals — including the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta — and a .917 winning percentage.
"The joy for me was in the journey of each season, seeing a group of young women work hard for each other and form an unbreakable bond," VanDerveer said, in a statement. "Winning was a byproduct. I've loved the game of basketball since I was a little girl, and it has given me so much throughout my life. I hope I've been able to give at least a little bit back."
VanDerveer was an impactful player for Indiana before getting into coaching. She transferred to IU in 1972 after spending one season in Albany. She was a three-year starter and led the team to the AIAW Final Four in 1973 and inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame in 1995.
She took Bob Knight's classes and filled up notebooks while attending the men's teams practices. VanDerveer remained close with the coach in the years that followed.
"He has always been very kind to me," she told the IndyStar. "I've been very fortunate to learn from him."
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU women's alum Tara VanDerveer retires as all-time winningest coach
