Tara VanDerveer: Redefining Excellence in Women's Basketball
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Guy Kawasaki hosts 'Remarkable People,' featuring Tara VanDerveer, who recently retired after 38 years as Stanford's women's basketball coach. Tara led Stanford to three NCAA championships and over 1,200 victories, and coached the 1996 US Olympic team to gold. Post-retirement, she received over 1,000 letters and is exploring opportunities in books, movies, podcasts, and speaking engagements. She will also work part-time as an adviser in the athletic department, remotely during the summer. Coaching is a year-round job with continuous recruiting and only two 'dead weeks' in May and August. Tara attended Indiana University, where she took Bobby Knight's basketball class and watched practices daily for three years, initially planning to go to law school but falling into coaching unexpectedly. She shares positive experiences with Bobby Knight, learning both what to do and not to do from him. Her coaching philosophy, influenced by Knight and her teacher parents, emphasizes fundamentals, mentoring, and helping players navigate college. It took three years to succeed at Stanford, with initial struggles due to the previous coach's firing. Recruiting at Stanford requires great players and students, with high academic standards and the complications of collective money and NIL. Top recruits demand significant guaranteed money, and most college athletics money comes from football. Tara emphasizes discipline, long-term vision, and enjoying the process of improvement as key traits of winners. Recruiting involves talking to high school coaches and parents, with players committing significant time to basketball and academics. Tara coached the 1996 US women's team to gold, leaving Stanford for a year to train the team, which traveled 100,000 miles and played 52 games. USA Basketball picks the team, not the coach, and Caitlin Clark's absence from the Olympic team will be a major topic at the Paris Olympics. Tara believes it's a great time for women's basketball, with two pro leagues established since 1996 and a new pro team, the Valkyries, in the Bay Area. Women's basketball TV ratings have surpassed men's, with Caitlin Clark significantly boosting ratings and gear sales. Tara advises young athletes to play multiple sports to prevent overuse injuries and develop diverse skills. Parents should facilitate their children's goals without imposing their own. Tara is 'rewired,' not retired, advising Stanford's athletic director, mentoring other coaches, and spending more time with family and friends. She enjoys water skiing and sailing, values her staff, and feels fortunate and grateful for her achievements. Guy Kawasaki reflects on Tara's remarkable career, noting her status as the most winning coach in college basketball history, and thanks the 'Remarkable People' team for their contributions.
Guy Kawasaki hosts 'Remarkable People,' featuring Tara VanDerveer, who recently retired after 38 yea