Stanford head coach Tara Vanderveer is retiring after 38 seasons, the school announced on Tuesday evening.
She finishes with a record of 1,216-271 as head coach at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford. Her 1,216 wins are the most in college basketball history.
Vanderveer’s last day on the job will be May 8, the 39th anniversary of her hiring at Stanford.
In her time at Stanford, Vanderveer won three national championships and made 14 Final Four appearances. She also coached the U.S. women’s basketball team to Olympic gold in 1996, a team that has long been credited with sparking the founding of the WNBA.
"Basketball is the greatest group project there is and I am so incredibly thankful for every person who has supported me and our teams throughout my coaching career," VanDerveer said in a statement. "I've been spoiled to coach the best and brightest at one of the world's foremost institutions for nearly four decades.
"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."
Throughout Vanderveer’s career, at least 12 of her former assistants have gone on to head coaching jobs in basketball. A number of her players have also gone on to become professional athletes, including Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike, Haley Jones and Karlie Samuelson. Additionally, current Stanford senior Cameron Brink is largely expected to be a first round pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Vanderveer’s departure comes as the Cardinal join the ACC next season following the dissolution of the Pac-12.
"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. Winning was a byproduct," Vanderveer said in a team release.
The coach will continue to work with the athletic department in an advisory capacity, according to the school. Negotiations with longtime assistant Kate Paye to become her successor are already underway.
“Tara built one of the sport's iconic program's almost immediately upon her arrival at Stanford, and then maintained that standard for nearly four decades,” Stanford athletics director Bernard Muir said in a statement. "An energetic and positive teacher, a Hall of Famer, a trusted friend and mentor, Tara's impact is simply unmatched, and I don't think it's a stretch to characterize her as one of the most influential people to ever be associated with this university.”
