Mike Krzyzewski reacts to Tara VanDerveer breaking his all-time NCAA wins record

PALO ALTO — Tara VanDerveer eclipsed Mike Krzyzewski with her 1,203rd career victory on Sunday, making her the winningest college basketball coach of all time.

After the game — a 65-56 win over Oregon State in Maples Pavilion — Krzyzewski released a statement congratulating the Stanford head coach.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Tara VanDerveer, who is already one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of basketball,” Krzyzewski said in the statement. “This is yet another milestone to add to an amazing legacy. 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.”

It took VanDerveer two fewer seasons than Coach K to reach 1,203 wins. She has coached for 46 years, the past 38 of which have come in Palo Alto.

VanDerveer has led Stanford to three national titles — in 1990, 1992 and 2021. She’s the only NCAA coach to win championships at least 30 years apart, a mark of unparalleled sustained greatness.

Coach K and VanDerveer have met before, but they don’t have much of a relationship. They each built powerhouse programs on opposite sides of the country.

The two coaching titans first met in 1992 when Coach K’s Duke Blue Devils and VanDerveer’s Cardinal both won the national championship. They were in the Oval Office to meet with George H.W. Bush, and Krzyzewski tried explaining to VanDerveer how the day was going to play out.

“I’m like, ‘OK, thanks, but I’ve been here too,’” VanDerveer said recently.

VanDerveer never considered the quest for the all-time wins record as chasing Krzyzewski. She’s much more focused on the day-to-day of keeping her team prepared and healthy, she said. In the weeks leading up to Stanford’s historic win, she and those closest to her said she didn’t even know the exact number of wins she was supposed to be targeting.

After Sunday, though, every win from now on will tack on another to her immortal total. She’s now the milestone for others to hunt.