'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer finally stood on her own at the pinnacle of college basketball when she recorded win no. 1203 when the Cardinal beat the Oregon State Beavers 65-56 on Sunday evening.
The $31 billion sporting behemoth, Nike, celebrated VanDerveer with a unique one-of-one jacket covered in tallies, each representing a victory in her legendary career.
They also put up an iconic poster of the Stanford coach on their social media pages with the caption:
"Done it all...but not all done."
Tributes pour in for Tara VanDerveer
As a coach who has been in the game for over 40 years, it is understandable that VanDerveer's achievement of becoming the winningest college basketball coach was widely celebrated by both colleagues and former players.
The first former player to show her appreciation for the Stanford coach was Jennifer Azzi, a player who won the Gold medal under her with the US national team and played for the Cardinal between 1986 and 1990.
“It was her high standards, which start with herself,” said Jennifer Azzi. “If there’s one word that describes her it’s excellence. Excellence in every single thing she does and attempts. … That has never changed over the years. She has never compromised herself or her values.”
VanDerveer has not had a losing season since her first at Stanford and has since had 17 30-win seasons, the most ever by any college basketball coach.
The man whose record she broke, Mike Krzyzewski, released a statement after the accomplishment congratulating VanDerveer.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said in the statement. “This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. More important than all the astounding numbers and career accomplishments, she’s positively impacted countless lives as a coach and a mentor. Tara remains a true guardian of our sport.”
Mike Krzyzewski and Tara VanDerveer met in 1992 at the White House as national championship winners, the former with the Duke Blue Devils.
The extremely private Stanford coach was typically modest about breaking the record during her postgame news conference.
"It means I’ve coached a lot of great players, have a great staff, worked at great universities," VanDerveer said. "I’m just so blessed and so thankful."
She has won all the individual and team accolades a college basketball coach craves to win. Yet, it seems she has the appetite to continue accumulating wins.
