Fierce face-offs and fortitudes might make them iconic court rivals, but it’s their cherished connection that define the two celebrated coaches of the college basketball circuit today. Tara VanDerveer and Dawn Staley top the various NCAA WBB programs with their grit for glory. The two flourished, honored, and acknowledged mentors have completely changed the world of women’s college basketball. While more people know about the coaching career of VanDerveer, Staley has given examples as an established player as well. However, not many know how Stanford’s coach is also the Master to Staley’s padawan.

In fact, the two have quite a handful of happy and successful memories as a teacher and a student apart from being competitive court marshalls. It’s this frenemy relationship between the two world-renowned basketball coaches that make a compelling case of comparison.

The long connection between Dawn Staley and VanDerveer

You can bind the 70-year-old coach to South Carolina’s favorite through various routes. From the 1000-win club to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers, the two have seen successes on many fronts. Back in 1991, Tara VanDerveer led the US team to the gold medal at the World University Games. The event from July 1991 in Sheffield, England, was a huge success. However, that was only so because Dawn Staley was a part of it. In fact, she was a junior at the University of Virginia at the time.

Just one year later, Stanford, where Tara was coaching, reigned over the Cavaliers in an intense 66-65 game. While Staley had already grabbed multiple accolades, like 2× Naismith College Player of the Year, she never won a championship trophy as a player. The two met again in 1996 when Dawn Staley was in Philadelphia Rage. VanDerveer represented the US team as a coach while Dawn Staley was a player. The duo again led a successful campaign as they brought the gold medal from the Atlanta Olympics to America.

While they never met again as a coach and player, Dawn Staley has relied on Tara numerous times when she needed advice. While she was still in the WNBA, Staley got an offer to join Temple in the year 2000. She discussed the opportunity with VanDerveer who asked her to decline the offer. Apparently, according to the latter, Staley would not be able to juggle between her WNBA career and coaching a college team as it can be quite absorbing. Nonetheless, the then-Charlotte Sting point guard decided against it.

After eight years with the Owls as a coach and a player in the Houston Comets, Staley bid her long-awaited adieu to the WNBA. However, she did prove VanDerveer wrong by grabbing 6× WNBA All-Star between 2001 and 2006, while she also coached Temple. Nevertheless, she then left the Owls and joined South Carolina in 2008, and the rest is history.

Dawn Staley at South Carolina

Dawn Staley joined a team that did not have much going on. She hand-picked the players and gave her all to the Gamecocks as today they stand at the top. In the past 16 years with South Carolina, Staley has truly transformed the roster. Here are the titles she brought for the Gamecocks.

• 2× NCAA Division I Tournament champion (2017, 2022)
• 5× NCAA Regional – Final Four (2015, 2017, 2021–2023)
• 8× SEC tournament champion (2015–2018, 2020–2021, 2023, 2024)
• 8× SEC regular season champion (2014–2017, 2020, 2022–2024)
• 4× A-10 tournament champion (2002, 2004–2006)
• 3× A-10 regular-season champion (2004, 2005, 2008)

Dawn Staley has also left a remarkable trail behind her with shining awards for herself.

• 3× Naismith Coach of the Year (2020, 2022, 2023)
• 3× WBCA National Coach of the Year (2020, 2022, 2023)
• AP National Coach of the Year (2020)
• The Sporting News National Coach of the Year (2024)
• 4× USBWA National Coach of the Year (2020, 2022–2024)
• 7× SEC Coach of the Year (2014–2016, 2020, 2022–2024)
• 2× A-10 Coach of the Year (2004, 2005)

Apart from these, Staley has also amassed global recognition as a coach to the US team. Overall, she has 7 gold medals in the 2022 Tokyo Olympics, World Cups, FIBA AmeriCup, Pan American Games, U19 World Championship, and FIBA U18 Americas Championship.

Tara VanDerveer at Stanford

The Winningest Coach in the history of the NCAA has given 39 years of her 45 years as a coach to bring pride to the Cardinal and white jersey. As a head coach at Stanford, the 5x National Coach of the Year has brought multiple awards to the school.

• 3 NCAA Division I Tournament (1990, 1992, 2021)
• 13 NCAA Regional—Final Four (1990–1992, 1995, 1997, 2008–2012, 2014, 2017, 2021)
• 27 Pac-12 Conference regular season (1989–1993, 1995–1998, 2001–2014, 2021-24)
• 15 Pac-12 Conference tournament championships (2003–05, 2007–13, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021-22)
• 4 Big Ten Regular Season (1982–1985)

Apart from these, she has also grabbed a handful of honors for herself.

• 5× National Coach of the Year (1988–1990, 2011, 2020)
• 11× Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year (1989, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2024)
• 5× WBCA District/Region Coach of the Year (1988–1990, 2007, 2009)
• John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award (2014)
• 5× Northern California Women’s Intercollegiate Coach of the Year (1988–1990, 1992, 1993)
• 2× Big Ten Coach of the Year (1984, 1985

On top of these accolades, her collection also boasts many world-renowned titles. These are gold medals in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Goodwill Games, and World University Games. She also won a Bronze in the 1994 Sydney FIBA World Championship for Women.

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Today, both are referred to as the true guardians of women’s basketball. They have not only changed the place as players but also by coaching in the transitioning times. But how do the two stand when they lock horns?

Staley vs VanDerveer

The mentor and student have faced each other multiple times as coaches. The Gamecocks lead the 6-2 win-loss record to date over the Cardinals. However, Staley is nowhere close to the long list of honor collections that VanDerveer, as a veteran coach of 45 years, has amassed.

Passing down the torch to Staley, the two have created an intersection of passion, knowledge, and dedication for basketball. While they may go against each other on the court, the two have nothing but respect and admiration for each other. Continuing their journey towards greatness, both Dawn Staley and Tara VanDerveer had led a career worth a standing ovation.

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