Stanford women's HC Tara VanDerveer passes Coach K on all-time wins list

Humbled by the accolade, an appreciative VanDerveer credited the schools and the players she's coached, choosing to use her big moment to spotlight women's basketball as a whole. 

"I want to bring attention to the beauty of women's basketball and the wonderfulness of these players who work so hard," VanDerveer said via the Pac-12 Network. "And I'm so jealous because I never got to do what they get to do, but I'm able to watch a little girl's dream play out through them." 

Meanwhile, Krzyzewski called VanDerveer's feat a "tremendous accomplishment" in a heartfelt statement. 

"This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy," Krzyzewski said via Danny Emerman of the Mercury News. "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."  

Over a 45-year coaching career, VanDerveer has won three national titles and coached in the Olympics, leading Team USA in 1996. However, Sunday's milestone isn't the end. It's just another chapter for the basketball lifer. 

At 70 years old, VanDerveer is still going strong, leading the Cardinals. Whenever possible, throughout all the congratulatory words and tributes, she turned the attention to her team and what lay ahead. 

"This was really exciting, but I told our team, 'This is what it feels like to win a national championship,' you're just so excited, you're happy," VanDerveer said. "I'd like to build on this and get better."