May 25, 2011
STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball Tara VanDerveer announced the addition of Trina Patterson as assistant coach Wednesday.
Patterson most recently served as head coach at University at Albany, SUNY from 2002-10. She also served two prior head-coaching tenures at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (1999-2000) and the College of William & Mary (1991-99).
"We are thrilled to have Trina join our staff here at Stanford, she brings incredible experience and knowledge to the program," VanDerveer said. "We are very excited to work with someone of Trina's experience and integrity. She is an intelligent, authentic and very enthusiastic person, and we are very happy to have her on staff."
During her 17-year head coaching career, Patterson guided 18 players to America East and Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference honors, among those a conference rookie of the year, and members of all-conference, all-rookie, all-defensive, all-academic and all-tournament teams.
"I am grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to coach at such a prestigious university with a rich tradition in women's basketball as Stanford," Patterson said. "Tara is one of the finest coaches in the country and I could not be more excited to work with her, the players and the staff. I will embrace the culture at Stanford which highlights a world-class education with world-class athletics. I look forward to working hard and bringing energy, knowledge and passion."
Patterson also earned four varsity letters and was a member of four consecutive NCAA Tournament teams under head coach Debbie Ryan at Virginia from 1983-87. During her four years in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers went 95-23, winning 20-plus games each season and capturing three Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season titles. As a team captain during her senior season (1986-87), Patterson helped Virginia post a 26-5 record and reach the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
At Patterson's first head coaching stop at the College of William & Mary in 1991, she took over a program that had not experienced a winning season at the Division I level. In her second year at the helm, Patterson guided the Tribe to the championship game of the 1993 CAA Tournament, and in her third season led the team to a 20-8 record and a third-place finish in the conference standings. For her efforts, Patterson was named 1993-94 CAA Coach of the Year.
During her eight-year stay at Albany, Patterson was named America East Coach of the Year in 2007-08 after guiding the Great Danes to a school-record 10 wins in conference play. Albany would go on to reach the semifinals of the America East Tournament, while for the first time in program history three players would earn all-conference honors. Kristin Higy and Gia Sanders would earn All-America East honors while Janea Aiken would be named to the all-rookie team.
In her first season, Patterson helped the Great Danes increase their win total from four games to nine. Two of the team's players would be named to the All-America East Second Team, marking the first time that the squad would boast multiple players on the squad.
Albany would go on to establish its Division I level record of 14 victories during the 2004-05 season, finishing 14-14 overall. The Great Danes would increased their win total in each of Patterson's first three seasons while also reaching the America East Tournament semifinal round in her second season.
Patterson has also spent time with USA Basketball in both coaching and administrative roles. Her first USA Basketball coaching stint was in 1998, as she served on Nell Fortner's staff for the R. William Jones Cup squad that went 5-0 and captured the gold medal. This team included future Olympians Tamika Catchings and Becky Harmon. She would next reunite with Ryan, serving on the Virginia head coach's staff as an assistant coach with the 2003 USA Basketball Pan-American Games Team that won the silver medal. Patterson helped guide a squad that included former Stanford players Jamie Carey and Nicole Powell, as well as Rebekkah Brunson and Ann Strother. Patterson worked with the post players, including Brunson, who went on to lead the team in scoring and rebounding during the international competition.
Patterson was appointed by the NCAA to serve as an NCAA representative on the USA Basketball Women's Collegiate Committee for the 2005-08 term. The committee is charged with reviewing and making recommendations concerning USA Basketball's women's collegiate events, including the selection of players and coaches. She also played a major role in choosing the developmental college players for the United States National teams. Additionally, Patterson was one of five women's basketball coaches chosen by the U.S. Olympic Committee to participate in a coaches' conference, held in Colorado Springs in October 2003.
A native of Newport News, Va., Patterson earned a bachelor's degree in rhetoric and communication studies from the University of Virginia in 1987. She completed a master's degree in human resource management from National University in 2002.
Patterson, who enjoys playing the acoustic guitar, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is married to Carl and the couple has three sons Carl Jr. (CJ), Matthew, and Joshua.