Heidi VanDerveer

Who is Heidi VanDerveer?

Heidi VanDerveer is a women's basketball collegiate and professional coach. She is currently the head coach at Occidental College.

A native of Chautauqua, New York, VanDerveer was a four-year letter-winner in basketball at the College of Charleston from 1982–86, serving as team captain as senior and graduating in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science and English. She also has a master's degree in physical education and sports psychology from the University of Tennessee.

VanDerveer began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee under Pat Summitt. She then served as an assistant at the University of South Carolina, before taking the head coaching job at Eastern Washington University.

VanDerveer made the jump to the WNBA in 1997, joining the staff of the Sacramento Monarchs. She became head coach in 1997, and served in that role through 1998. In 1999, she joined on as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx, and took over as coach after the resignation of Brian Agler.