The UC San Diego women’s basketball program made history with an incredibly successful season in 2019. On April 18, Tritons’ athletic director Earl Edwards took a significant step toward the long-term success of the program with the announcement that head coach Heidi VanDerveer has earned the first multi-year head coach’s contract in the institution’s athletics history.  
VanDerveer, who has won 77 percent of her games in seven seasons as the Tritons’ head coach while taking the program to the NCAA Tournament five times, signed a five-year agreement to remain as UC San Diego’s head women’s basketball coach.  
“Heidi has done an exceptional job as the head coach of the UC San Diego women’s basketball program,” said Edwards. “I could not be happier that she will remain our head coach and I’m really pleased that she has made a long term commitment to the Triton athletics program.
“Heidi is not only one of the best basketball coaches in the country.  She has a proven track record for developing scholar-athletes on and off the court and providing positive leadership that resonates throughout the athletics program as well as in the community.  She is well-respected among her peers and I am confident she will successfully transition our program into Division I competition.”
VanDerveer has compiled a 163-50 overall record during her six seasons at UC San Diego for a .765 winning percentage. She has won 124 of 150 games against California College Athletic Association (CCAA) competition, a .827 winning percentage, and has earned league Coach of the Year honors in each of the last four seasons.
In the recently-concluded 2018-19 season, VanDerveer led the Tritons to a 30-1 overall record, a perfect 22-0 record in the CCAA and won both the league regular season and tournament titles. For the second-straight year, she earned West Region Coach of the Year honors by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
“I am so fortunate to work with such highly motivated and goal oriented young women as those who are in our program at UC San Diego,” said VanDerveer. “I am extremely thankful for the support from Earl Edwards, Deputy Athletic Director Wendy Taylor May and the entire athletics staff. 
“UC San Diego is an incredible institution located in perhaps the most desirable area in the world. Academically, it is among the world’s elite. There are so many great reasons UC San Diego annually generates among the highest number of applicants of any school in the country. We are proud to be able to attract the best and brightest in the classroom and on the court, which is something that will serve us well as we transition into NCAA Division I and the Big West Conference.”