Chasing Pat Summitt

[EdSaid]

• Tara VanDerveer owns 1,097 career wins and is two victories shy of passing Pat Summitt (1,098) as the winningest coach in women’s college basketball history.
• Tara VanDerveer is now 51-5 all-time against her former assistants and 49-9 against her former players after defeating UNLV’s Lindy La Rocque. California is coached by Charmin Smith, a former player and assistant at Stanford.

Copied above from the Stanford/Cal pregame notes. TVD can tie PS tonight. Too bad the game starts at 10pm east coast time.

What is Geno's record against former assistants and former players?

 

[Centerstream]

I'm gonna guess Geno is undefeated...

 

[bluedevil]

I'm gonna guess Geno is undefeated...

yep

 

[Jingo]

At least for a few more days, Pat Summitt IS the winningest coach in the history of WBB. If she doesn't get cancelled, Tara will overtake her sometime this week. And Geno soon after, eh?
It is well known that Pat's formula for success has always been, "Defense and rebounding win championships!"
If this is true, then Liv will lead the charge towards the NC this season. Her nonpareil shot-blocking ability allows our perimeter defensive aces like Nika, Evina, Paige, Mir and Aubrey to play MUCH TIGHTER defense on their man knowing Liv will be there to back them up.
As for rebounding, Liv will get plenty of help this year from Aaliyah, Aubrey, Ania, Mir, Paige and even CW. Piath may develop too! Liv will lead but "team rebounding" will be the key, eh?
This year, more than ever before, we have the personnel to execute the 'Pat Summitt' winning strategy, i.e. "Defense and rebounding win championships!" Hopefully, this season, we can pay homage to Pat, by following in her sage footsteps. even as she falls from her pedestal, to 2nd or 3rd place.

 

[Golden Husky]

They're all chasing Geno Auriemma and his 11 National Championships. If total victories were considered the hallmark of greatness then Don Nelson would be at the pinnacle of NBA coaches.

 

[Jingo]

They're all chasing Geno Auriemma and his 11 National Championships. If total victories were considered the hallmark of greatness then Don Nelson would be at the pinnacle of NBA coaches.

You're right .. Pat Summitt only won 8 National Championships .. I guess she's not that gr8 .. what was I thinking?

 

[CompSci87]

At least for a few more days, Pat Summitt IS the winningest coach in the history of WBB. If she doesn't get cancelled, Tara will overtake her sometime this week.

Tara tied Pat today. The post game interview gave her a chance to say some nice things about Pat.

 

[Lorcan]

Does Geno have a former assistant or player at the same level as Charli Turner Thorne at ASU? An odd record to tout. It might make you think that Geno’a style makes it challenging to replicate and succeed elsewhere. On some level, it does make you appreciate what he’s done, but does anyone have a good list of his current coaching tree to judge?

 

[Golden Husky]

You're right .. Pat Summitt only won 8 National Championships .. I guess she's not that gr8 .. what was I thinking?

Summit was a terrific coach, @Jingo, and as you point out, with eight national titles, was far more successful than Tara, who, irrespective of wins, has earned a pair of national titles, each more than a quarter century ago and both before any of her current players were even born.

I'm not saying that Tara isn't an excellent coach but if the measure of coaching greatness is National Championships, not victories, then she's more in a class with Mulkey and McGraw than Auriemma and Summit.

 

[oldhusky]

It seems to me the chase to overtake Pat has gotten lost somewhat in the Covid news. We have been aware and following it for a couple of years now, but as Tara and Geno approach that milestone it gets less attention, because the year end leader could well be determined by Covid cases and state and local regulations.

The slogan "so close and yet so far" could apply here. Like most I think Geno ultimately overtakes Tara, but it could take longer than most assume. Geno started the year only three behind Tara and that seems like a low hurdle, but outside of maybe South Carolina, Stanford might be Uconn's biggest challenge in the ratings over the next few years.

They got Haley Jones, Brink and have a couple of very good young bigs, and there graduation losses will not be that big, so while I think Uconn will be better next year and the year after, this year they might be very close, and it would not be surprising to see Stanford in the Final Four for several years.

It's not like Geno can expect to pick up 5-6 games a year against Tara if she only loses 2 or 3 per season. In addition there is a significant chance in this unusual season that one team might play several more games than the other during the regular season. If for example Uconn cancels say four more games than Stanford, Tara could end the season 7 games ahead of Geno give or take a game or two. If that happened Geno might not have a realistic chance to catch Tara even in the next two years.

Of course it could go the other way too, if Stanford suffers major cancellations Geno could wind up on top by year end even if Stanford lost fewer games than Uconn. For an accomplishment earned over a long and remarkable career for both coaches, it would be a shame if it was tainted by exterior factors beyond the control of either coach.

 

[bluedevil]

It seems to me the chase to overtake Pat has gotten lost somewhat in the Covid news. We have been aware and following it for a couple of years now, but as Tara and Geno approach that milestone it gets less attention, because the year end leader could well be determined by Covid cases and state and local regulations.

The slogan "so close and yet so far" could apply here. Like most I think Geno ultimately overtakes Tara, but it could take longer than most assume. Geno started the year only three behind Tara and that seems like a low hurdle, but outside of maybe South Carolina, Stanford might be Uconn's biggest challenge in the ratings over the next few years.

They got Haley Jones, Brink and have a couple of very good young bigs, and there graduation losses will not be that big, so while I think Uconn will be better next year and the year after, this year they might be very close, and it would not be surprising to see Stanford in the Final Four for several years.

It's not like Geno can expect to pick up 5-6 games a year against Tara if she only loses 2 or 3 per season. In addition there is a significant chance in this unusual season that one team might play several more games than the other during the regular season. If for example Uconn cancels say four more games than Stanford, Tara could end the season 7 games ahead of Geno give or take a game or two. If that happened Geno might not have a realistic chance to catch Tara even in the next two years.

Of course it could go the other way too, if Stanford suffers major cancellations Geno could wind up on top by year end even if Stanford lost fewer games than Uconn. For an accomplishment earned over a long and remarkable career for both coaches, it would be a shame if it was tainted by exterior factors beyond the control of either coach.

The second most winning coach in terms of total victories between Geno and Tara will be the coach who retires first...nothing else..

 

[oldhusky]

The second most winning coach in terms of total victories between Geno and Tara will be the coach who retires first...nothing else..

Way down the road that may be true, but they both want to achieve that status on merit, not by default. Maybe if they are too competitive on this, they will both be coaching by Zoom call from their respective nursing homes! Ha!

 

[bluedevil]

Way down the road that may be true, but they both want to achieve that status on merit, not by default. Maybe if they are too competitive on this, they will both be coaching by Zoom call from their respective nursing homes! Ha!

I hear you but seriously who ever retires first finishes second..sad but true

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Records are expressed in cold, hard numbers. However, looking at the surrounding circumstances the new holder will perhaps appear somewhat muted as she claims the prize. Yes, you caught Pat, but she was no longer in the race, cut down by that vicious disease Alzheimers. Numbers don't lie, but they don't tell the whole story either. Pat is and always will be the Grand Dame of WCBB.