STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford women’s basketball players formed a postgame circle, and Kiki Iriafen offered her celebratory teammates a little perspective on their coach, Tara VanDerveer.
“Tara’s been winning,” Iriafen said, “since our parents were kids.”
Yes, pushing five decades.
A head coach since her mid-20s, the 70-year-old VanDerveer tied the retired Mike Krzyzewski as the all-time leader for coaching wins in college basketball with her 1,202nd victory Friday night. She guided the No. 8 Cardinal past Oregon 88-63 while losing leading scorer Cameron Brink for the final three quarters with a leg injury.
“It’s like a dream come true. To have a dream and watch it play out,” VanDerveer said of her fortunate timing entering coaching after not having that as a player before Title IX.