ATLANTA (Jan. 13, 2026) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club (ATOC) today named former Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year winners Tara VanDerveer and Tubby Smith as the 2026 Naismith Outstanding Contributors to Basketball Award recipients, honoring their extraordinary and lasting impact on the game.
The ATOC’s Board of Directors selected VanDerveer to celebrate her successful tenure at Stanford University. Smith was chosen for his legendary coaching career at the University of Kentucky and other collegiate programs. Both honorees will be formally recognized at the 2026 NCAA Final Four.
“The Naismith Award annually recognizes those who have left a meaningful legacy on both athletes and supporters, genuinely representing what basketball stands for,” said Eric Oberman, president of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We’re honored to celebrate Tara and Tubby, who devoted themselves to building and elevating the sport. Earning a Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year award is outstanding, but receiving acknowledgment years later for your enduring legacy is truly remarkable.”
Established in 1982, the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award annually celebrates individuals whose extraordinary dedication has created meaningful and enduring benefits for the sport. Award recipients demonstrate strong moral character, unwavering principles, and distinguished conduct while driving significant advancement in basketball’s development and long-term success.
About Tara VanDerveer:
- As the head coach at Stanford, Ohio State, and Idaho, she led her teams to a 1,216-271 record in 45 seasons, including a 1,064-220 mark in 38 seasons with the Cardinal.
- A three-time Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year (1990, 2011, and 2021), she was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year 18 times.
- Led Stanford to three NCAA Championships (1990, 1992, 2021) and is one of only five coaches in history to win three titles.
- Made 35 NCAA Tournament appearances at Stanford, advanced to the Final Four 14 times, and played in the national championship game five times.
- Her teams won 26 Pac-12 regular-season titles and captured 15 Pac-12 Tournament championships.
- VanDerveer won her 1,000th career game on Feb. 3, 2017, passed Pat Summitt (1,098) to become the then-winningest coach in women’s college basketball history on Dec. 15, 2020, and surpassed Mike Krzyzewski (1,202) to become the then-winningest coach in NCAA basketball history on Jan. 21, 2024.
- She coached two Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s College Basketball Players of the Year: Jennifer Azzi (1990) and Kate Starbird (1997).
- She is a member of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted in 2011) and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted in 2002).
- In 1995-96, she served as head coach of the USA Basketball National Team, leading the team to a 52-0 exhibition record and then to the Olympic gold medal with a perfect 8-0 run at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
“It is an honor to receive the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award alongside Coach Smith, and I’d like to thank The Atlanta Tipoff Club for this recognition,” VanDerveer said. “On court success comes from having great players, fantastic assistant coaches, and supportive administrations all working together to achieve a common goal. But the most meaningful part of my career has been the relationships formed that go well beyond basketball. I’ve always strived to grow the game and leave a legacy that is more than just a coaching record. To be recognized for exactly that sort of impact with this award is very special.”
About Tubby Smith:
- As the head coach at High Point, Memphis, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, and Tulsa, Smith finished his career with a 642-370 record, making him one of the most accomplished coaches in the history of men’s college basketball.
- In 1998, in his first season at Kentucky, Smith led the Wildcats to their seventh NCAA National Championship, becoming only the third coach to win a national title in his first year at a school in the modern era.
- During his 10 seasons at Kentucky, Smith amassed a 263-83 record, leading the Wildcats to five SEC regular-season championships, five SEC Tournament titles, four Elite Eight appearances, and 10 NCAA Tournament berths.
- Smith is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to lead five different programs to the NCAA Division I Tournament (Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Texas Tech), demonstrating his remarkable ability to build and transform programs.
- Named the Werner Ladder Men’s Naismith Coach of the Year (2003) and six-time conference coach of the year (MVC 1994, 1995; SEC 1998, 2003, 2005; Big 12 2016)
- In 2000, Smith served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team that won the gold medal in Sydney, Australia.
- Smith led his teams to 20 postseason appearances as a head coach, including nine Sweet Sixteen and four Elite Eight trips.
“I’m grateful for the Naismith Award and honored to be recognized along with Coach VanDerveer and to be included among so many legendary previous awardees,” Smith said. “I feel blessed to have had an incredible career leading, coaching, and teaching great young men at top institutions. I hope that the lessons that I taught will continue to impact them, both on and off the court and throughout their lives.”
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Media Contact:
Jordan De La Cruz
Atlanta Tipoff Club
jordan.delacruz@naismithtrophy.com
(770) 617-2222
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UC A’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include AXIA Time, Jersey Mike’s, MOLECULE and Werner Ladder. For more information, visit www.naismithtrophy.com.