Author: Richie DeMaria
Former associate coach of the SDSU Aztecs, Heidi VanDerveer was named the new head coach of the women’s basketball team last Monday.
“I’m very excited and eager to get going. It’s a great opportunity and I think it’s a great fit,” she said. “I’m working with highly motivated people that want to be successful. I like to work hard and be part of something special and I think that’s something we can do at Oxy.”
Last season saw the Tigers win a record 20 games and their first conference championship since 1980, and VanDerveer hopes to repeat last season’s success.
“Obviously we hope to build on the success that they had last year, and I think that if we really have an understanding of what direction we want to go in and what goals we have there’s no reason that we can’t build on that success,” she said.
She admits, however, that the shift in leadership will be the biggest challenge on both sides of the court.”I think that the biggest challenge is obviously [the] transition,” she said.
When it comes to coaching, VanDerveer emphasizes commitment and teamwork.
“You have to really be committed, you have to be to be very unselfish and you have to commit to doing things the right way. There are no shortcuts to working hard,” she said. “You have to invest in the experience and invest in each other and you have to be able to fit with the personality and skills of the team.”
VanDerveer brings an impressive resume to the table, with experience at both the collegiate and professional level. Prior to her coaching position with the Aztecs, VanDerveer worked in the WNBA, as assistant coach with the Seattle Sonics and in a head coach position with the Minnesota Lynx. At the college level, she lead both the UT Lady Vols and the SC Gamecocks to NCAA tournament appearances. She intends to spend the summer in Beijing, serving as a scout for the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team.
It’s the enthusiasm for basketball-as opposed to money and fame-and the balance of scholarship and sportsmanship that draws VanDerveer to college athletics.
“It’s a game where people invest in the experience. I think that’s important to me. People enjoy playing for the love of the game. In the pros it’s not always a healthy form of basketball,” she said. “And the fact that these young women are true students and true athletes-they understand there’s a bigger picture out there.”
Some team members, such as Asha Jordan (junior), are optimistic about their new coach.
“I’m excited. She comes to us with a lot of experience,” she said. “She’s coached at some major Division I schools and in the pros. There is a different intensity level in Division I basketball, and I feel like she’ll bring that to this Division III program and that’s something I think it takes to compete nationally.”
Others, like Kassandra Griswold (first year), admit the transition won’t be easy, especially with the loss of assistant coach Avi Meyerson.
“Learning all new plays-all that kind of stuff is very challenging and it kind of puts everyone back at square one as if we are all freshman again together,” she said.
Though they are still nearly strangers, both the players and the coach share the same championship aspirations. “I hope to see this team compete nationally next season. I fully expect us to be one of the 64 teams in the national tourney next year,” Jordan said. “Some people may think I’m crazy, but I’ve seen this team play day in and day out. If the players on our team do what they are supposed to do this summer, and come next year with a fire and desire to work hard and be the best this team can be, it’s pretty scary to imagine how good this team could be.”
VanDerveer agrees. “If we are working very hard and we’re healthy then we’ll be successful,” she said. “I’m excited to get going.”
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