Coaches' Corner: Heidi VanDerveer

This summer we'll be featuring various coaches from our 23 teams in a Q&A format on UCSDTritons.com as well as our social media accounts.

Heidi VanDerveer enters her 11th season as head coach of the UC San Diego women’s basketball program in 2022-23, the program’s third season competing in NCAA Division I. 

A former WNBA coach, Olympic team scout and assistant for the legendary Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee, VanDerveer has coached the likes of Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi and several other women’s basketball superstars.

Most recently, VanDerveer led the Tritons to a fifth-place finish in the Big West with a 10-8 record—the program’s first winning conference record in year two of Division I competition. UC San Diego swept eventual Big West Champion Hawai’i in the season series and the Tritons were responsible for two of the ‘Bows three conference losses.

Three Tritons earned All-Big West honors, including Sydney Brown who was named to the All-Big West Second Team for the second consecutive season. Julia Macabuhay picked up her first All-Big West recognition with an honorable mention nod and Aishah Brown also earned her first career conference honor, being named to the Big West All-Defensive Team.

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Any exciting summer plans?

Watch future Tritons and visit my family in Chautauqua, NY.

What’s one skill/talent you wish you had or would like to learn?

Understand the complexities, nuances or subtleties of wine, coffee, and beer...none of which I drink!

What are three words you would use to describe your team culture?

Inclusive, hardworking, and positive.

What has stood out to you most/what have you learned in this transition to Division I competition?

Our athletic department has the potential to be very competitive.

What are you looking forward to most with your squad next season?

Consistent daily improvement.

What’s your favorite coaching memory?

Winning a National Championship at Tennessee and Gold Medal in China with USA Basketball were both amazing, but playing at Stanford against my sister and looking down the sidelines at her and then up at scoreboard and being tied 43-43 with 12 minutes to go in the game and laughing with Chelsea [Carlisle] was pretty awesome!

Who has influenced you most in your career and why?

My sister Tara and my parents and family, Pat Summitt, Brian Agler, Anne Donovan and Chelsea Carlisle.

What’s one piece of advice you’ve received that stuck with you?

Tara told me to always be yourself and be true to who you are.

What advice would you give to potential student-athletes who are going through the recruiting process this summer?

As you go through your process enjoy where you are and what you are doing.

What stands out to you most when evaluating PSA’s at camps or summer tournaments?

Positive vibes and energy, being a great teammate, playing hard, and having fun!

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Check back on UCSDTritons.com all summer long for future editions of “Coaches' Corner" from other UC San Diego coaches. Previous “Coaches' Corner” entries are below.
 

• Liz LaPlante (Women's Tennis)
• Timmer Willing (Men's Tennis)
• Brad Kreutzkamp (Women's Water Polo)
• Nate Garcia (Cross Country)
• Kristin Jones (Women's Soccer)
• Juan Ignacio Calderon (Fencing)
• Fred Hanover (Men's Golf)

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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.