Tuesdays, 6:30 - 8:20 pm (PT) • 9 weeks • January 14 – March 11
Join us on campus or online!
This winter, join legendary Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer—who retired in 2024 as the winningest coach in NCAA history—for an unmatched dive into the evolution and strategy of basketball.
Celebrated as the “Professor of the Court” with 1,216 career victories, VanDerveer will guide you through the history of basketball, tracing its origins to its global rise, including the growing popularity of women’s basketball. We will examine key milestones like the impact of Title IX, the formation of the WNBA following the 1996 Olympics, and Stanford’s national championship seasons while analyzing the transformative effects of recent changes related to name, image, and likeness (NIL) and conference realignments. VanDerveer will also reveal the tactics and philosophies behind her legendary success, including preparation, motivation, scouting, and analytics.
The course features interactive elements such as game simulations, Q&A sessions, and panel discussions with basketball icons—college and professional coaches, players, NCAA leaders, and key figures from basketball history and beyond. Whether you’re a passionate fan or curious about the sport's worldwide ascent, this course offers a comprehensive look at basketball’s past and future, all through the lens of one of the most influential figures in the history of the sport.
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Course Instructor
Tara VanDerveerFormer Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Stanford
Tara VanDerveer was the head women’s basketball coach at Stanford from 1985 until her retirement in 2024. When she retired after the 2024 season, she held the record as the winningest coach in the history of NCAA basketball, with 1,216 victories. VanDerveer led her Stanford teams to three NCAA Championships (1990, 1992, 2021), one of four coaches in the history of the sport to win three titles. She advanced the Cardinal to 14 NCAA Final Four appearances, 26 Pac-12 regular-season titles, 15 Pac-12 Tournament crowns, and 35 trips to the NCAA Tournament. She also guided Idaho to one AIAW Tournament appearance and Ohio State to a pair of NCAA Tournaments while twice being named Big Ten Coach of the Year. She is also the author of the book Shooting from the Outside, which chronicled her 1996 gold-medal Olympic and 60-0 National Team experience.
Guest Speakers
Steve Kerr, Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors and the US Men’s National TeamJennifer Azzi, Chief Business Development Officer for the Las Vegas Aces, Former Professional Women’s Basketball Player, Former Stanford Women’s Basketball Player, and Member of the 1996 US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team
Lisa Bluder, Former Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of Iowa
Casey Jacobsen, Former Professional Men’s Basketball Player and Former Stanford Men’s Basketball Player
Chiney Ogwumike, ESPN Basketball Analyst and Host, Professional Women’s Basketball Player, Former Stanford Women’s Basketball Player, and Three-Time All-American
Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Professional Women’s Basketball Player, President of the WNBA Players Association, Former Stanford Women’s Basketball Player, and Three-Time All-American
Kate Paye, Head Women's Basketball Coach at Stanford, Former Stanford Women’s Basketball Player, and Three-Time All-American
Kyle Smith, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Stanford
Katy Steding, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Stanford, Former Stanford Women’s Basketball Player, Former Professional Women’s Basketball Player, and Member of the 1996 US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team
Judy Sweet, First Female President of the NCAA and Former Director of Athletics at UC San Diego
Heidi VanDerveer, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at UC San Diego, Former WNBA Coach, Former Olympic Team Scout, and Former College of Charleston Women’s Basketball Player
Please note: For a full list of guest speakers, please see the course syllabus.