As for her own future, Delaney-Smith cannot speak with absolute certainty.

"I think I'm in the best place in the world for me, in what I want to get on a daily basis in quality of life and quality of profession," Delaney-Smith says. "I can't predict how long I will stay here, but I love it here. I want to stop coaching when I am not effective or when I don't enjoy it."

It is difficult to imagine her not enjoying it or being ineffective; both characteristics appear to be incongruous with Kathy Delaney-Smith, the coach and the person. Indeed, Delaney-Smith seems to live her life the same way that she coaches the game of basketball--with and intoxicating enthusiasm which one cannot help but enjoy and respect.

While Crimson basketball fans want to see Delaney-Smith on the Harvard hardwood for many more years, there is no doubt that she has already earned her place in history. Her young son already noted that fact.

Referring to Harvard's perfect Ivy League record this season, Jared said to his father last week, "Dad, guess what? Mom's record can never be broken."

For Delaney-Smith, however, there will always be more to accomplish. Admirably, she not only takes pride in the products of her labor, but also in the labor itself. When asked what she hopes people remember about her, her reply is simple: "I want them to know how hard I worked and how much I cared."