[81alum]

Pat Summitt had 1098 wins.

Tara Vanderveer has 1067 wins.

Tara needs 31 wins to tie, 32 to take the all time lead.

From 2007-08 to the 2012-13 season we won a minimum of 33 games every season.

Since then we have won at least 31 games 3 times, including last season, but fallen short of 31 3 times, making the magic number more of a 50/50 proposition of late.

This year's team seems more like those teams that did win 31 games and less like those teams that won fewer.  I think it likely (though far from a certainty) that this will be the year Tara becomes the winningest coach in the history of WBB.

We have exactly 30 games prior to the Pac 12 tournament.  Those include two games with Oregon, two with Oregon State, a home game against Tennessee, away games at Texas, Arizona State, and of course rising powers like Arizona, and possibly a game against Mississippi State at the Victoria Invitational.  Even with a great team, it does not seem likely to me that we will get through all of that unscathed.  Assuming that we drop three games during the season, then win two games in the Pac 12 tournament, we could tie Summitt in the second round of the NCAAs and surpass her in the sweet sixteen. 

Naturally, if we win three games in the Pac 12 tournament (becoming champs) and/or run the table in the regular season, then Tara could conceivably surpass Pat earlier than that. 

I think this year's tournament season is going to be especially exciting.  By then our fabulous freshman class will be integrated into the team and making important contributions, and Tara will be poised to make history.

Wouldn't it be cool if Tara got her 1100th win in the National Championship game :)

---

Probably you all know that Geno is close behind Tara (5 wins fewer) 

Without looking it up which active coach is closest to Tara's win total after Geno?

[81alum]

Pat Summitt had 1098 wins.

Tara Vanderveer has 1067 wins.

Tara needs 31 wins to tie, 32 to take the all time lead.

From 2007-08 to the 2012-13 season we won a minimum of 33 games every season.

Since then we have won at least 31 games 3 times, including last season, but fallen short of 31 3 times, making the magic number more of a 50/50 proposition of late.

This year's team seems more like those teams that did win 31 games and less like those teams that won fewer.  I think it likely (though far from a certainty) that this will be the year Tara becomes the winningest coach in the history of WBB.

We have exactly 30 games prior to the Pac 12 tournament.  Those include two games with Oregon, two with Oregon State, a home game against Tennessee, away games at Texas, Arizona State, and of course rising powers like Arizona, and possibly a game against Mississippi State at the Victoria Invitational.  Even with a great team, it does not seem likely to me that we will get through all of that unscathed.  Assuming that we drop three games during the season, then win two games in the Pac 12 tournament, we could tie Summitt in the second round of the NCAAs and surpass her in the sweet sixteen. 

Naturally, if we win three games in the Pac 12 tournament (becoming champs) and/or run the table in the regular season, then Tara could conceivably surpass Pat earlier than that. 

I think this year's tournament season is going to be especially exciting.  By then our fabulous freshman class will be integrated into the team and making important contributions, and Tara will be poised to make history.

Wouldn't it be cool if Tara got her 1100th win in the National Championship game :)

---

Probably you all know that Geno is close behind Tara (5 wins fewer) 

Without looking it up which active coach is closest to Tara's win total after Geno?

[BobK]

Vivian Stringer my guess

[BobK]

Vivian Stringer my guess

[81alum]

Vivian Stringer my guess

That would have been my guess, too.  But it is not Stringer.

[81alum]

Vivian Stringer my guess

That would have been my guess, too.  But it is not Stringer.

[qwerty49]

Vivian Stringer my guess

That would have been my guess, too.  But it is not Stringer.

Sylvia Hatchell?

[qwerty49]

Vivian Stringer my guess

That would have been my guess, too.  But it is not Stringer.

Sylvia Hatchell?

[Spiny_Norman]

Kim Mulkey?

[Spiny_Norman]

Kim Mulkey?

[2006alum]

McGraw?

[2006alum]

McGraw?

[81alum]

Hatchell is now retired, but would not have been next after Geno in any case.  Hatchell has 1023.
It is not Stringer who has 1019.
Nor is it McGraw at 923.
Mulkey is not among the 72 coaches with 600 wins.  She is at 576.  Wouldn't it be nice if, through some act of providence, she did not reach 600 this year!

Hint:  This coach has 1039 wins and presently coaches for a Division II school.  She was born about 50 miles away from Tara's birthplace, a year later.

[81alum]

Hatchell is now retired, but would not have been next after Geno in any case.  Hatchell has 1023.
It is not Stringer who has 1019.
Nor is it McGraw at 923.
Mulkey is not among the 72 coaches with 600 wins.  She is at 576.  Wouldn't it be nice if, through some act of providence, she did not reach 600 this year!

Hint:  This coach has 1039 wins and presently coaches for a Division II school.  She was born about 50 miles away from Tara's birthplace, a year later.

[BobK]

She drives a Bentley or coaches one or? Yes I cheated.

[BobK]

She drives a Bentley or coaches one or? Yes I cheated.

[81alum]

She drives a Bentley or coaches one or?  Yes I cheated.

Hah!  I am absolutely beaming that I stumped Bob!  Probably the last time that will ever happen.

Yes, it is Barbara Stevens of Bentley University in Massachusetts.  She has 1037 wins and one Division II national championship, in 2014.  Among those wins are 34 Division I wins at Massachusetts where she played Geno once when he was in his first year--leading for most of the game before falling 62-59.  But most of the wins have come over a 33 year career at Bentley.  She started there 1 year after Tara started at Stanford, and she is one year younger than Tara.  She is, basically the "Tara" of Division II.   Her teams have been regulars in the final 4 and is a regular D2 contender.  Bentley has named its basketball court after her.

Wouldn't it be cool to invite Bentley to come out for an exhibition to lead off some season--before Stevens and Vanderveer retire? A couple of 1000 win coaches, each born in Massachusetts, each coming of age before Title IX, each with 30+ year careers at a single school....

[81alum]

She drives a Bentley or coaches one or?  Yes I cheated.

Hah!  I am absolutely beaming that I stumped Bob!  Probably the last time that will ever happen.

Yes, it is Barbara Stevens of Bentley University in Massachusetts.  She has 1037 wins and one Division II national championship, in 2014.  Among those wins are 34 Division I wins at Massachusetts where she played Geno once when he was in his first year--leading for most of the game before falling 62-59.  But most of the wins have come over a 33 year career at Bentley.  She started there 1 year after Tara started at Stanford, and she is one year younger than Tara.  She is, basically the "Tara" of Division II.   Her teams have been regulars in the final 4 and is a regular D2 contender.  Bentley has named its basketball court after her.

Wouldn't it be cool to invite Bentley to come out for an exhibition to lead off some season--before Stevens and Vanderveer retire? A couple of 1000 win coaches, each born in Massachusetts, each coming of age before Title IX, each with 30+ year careers at a single school....