The winningest coach in Ivy League basketball history, tallying 567 wins over 36 seasons, has done much more than elevate Harvard women’s basketball to the national spotlight. She has coached the USA national team on three separate occasions, including as the head coach during its gold medal victory at the 2005 World University Games in Turkey. Kathy Delaney-Smith’s resume seems full, but it is far from finished.
Upon her arrival in Cambridge in 1982, Delaney-Smith had already completed six undefeated seasons, compiled a 204-31 record, and won a state championship with Westwood High School in Massachusetts.
Although the Crimson struggled in its first year under Delaney-Smith, the new coach quickly instituted her own style and inspired the team. She led the squad to its first-ever Ivy League title in the 1985-1986 season, recording her first 20-win season.
Over the years, Delaney-Smith’s impact on her long list of players strongly resonated.
“She just knows so much about the game, and cares so much about making us better as players and as people,” said Taylor Rooks, a recent senior guard under Delaney-Smith who transferred to Harvard after her freshman year at Stanford. “Kathy’s experience, and her knowledge of the game, I knew it coming here, and I knew she was going to make me a better player, but I am so grateful for her letting me transfer to Harvard.”
Delaney-Smith recorded what was arguably one of her most successful seasons in the 1997-1998 campaign. This Harvard squad won 23 games, a record not only for Kathy, but also for the institution. This earned Harvard a berth in the NCAA Tournament as a 16-seed. The Crimson upset the top-seeded Stanford for its first-ever NCAA Tournament win to become the first 16-seed to ever upset a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament, men’s or women’s.
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The success and pride that Delaney-Smith brought to Harvard basketball rippled throughout the entire university community.
“It was tremendously exciting to be in the tournament, even as a 16-seed,” recalled Professor Harry Lewis, then the dean of Harvard College. “It was really a moment of extraordinary pride…. I got inspired and had to go down and meet the coach and the team at the airport on their return with a dozen red roses.”
Delaney-Smith’s impact on Harvard did not stop with the prolific season and upset victory in 1998. This past season, Delaney-Smith led the Crimson to an 18-11 season, supported by its 10-4 conference record. At the newly renovated Lavietes Pavilion, Harvard finished a perfect 12-0. This impressive home record included back-to-back home wins against future conference champion Princeton Tigers as well as the Penn Quakers, with the Crimson having fallen to the latter in nine straight previous meetings before this season’s victory.
Although her achievements on the court speak to Delaney-Smith’s legacy and importance to Harvard basketball, there is much more to her coaching than statistics.
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“She is so much more than just a coach on paper,” Rooks said. “She made my experience, the experiences of all my teammates, so much better. Knowing that we’re going to be treated equally, that there’s someone in our corner fighting for us, it’s just awesome.”
Delaney-Smith has shown her care for her players both on and off the court. On one occasion, Delaney-Smith encountered a visiting boys high school team who prevented her high school team from entering its own locker room. Subsequently, she instructed her team to walk straight past a teacher guarding the door and later filed multiple Title X lawsuits in response to the incident. At Harvard, Delaney-Smith has brought to fight.
“It’s rare to have someone who cares so much about what happens on the court as well equality off the court,” Rooks said. “Kathy is so passionate about women’s equality, it transcends all women’s sports about sports in general. It’s rare, but such a blessing to have someone who’s advocating for equality, equal locker rooms, stuff like that.”
Following another prosperous season, Delaney-Smith’s work is far from over. Her full slate of achievements aside, Delaney-Smith will return for a 37th season, looking to command the Crimson to her 11th Ancient Eight title.
—Staff writer Amir Mamdani can be reached at amir.mamdani@thecrimson.com.
—Staff writer Joseph W. Minatel can be reached at joseph.minatel@thecrimson.com.
