Editor’s note: In the Colorado Classics series, The Denver Post takes a weekly look at individuals who made their mark on the Colorado sports landscape and what they are doing now.
Unlike in the ballad that has become the city’s musical stamp, Tanya Haave found her heart in San Francisco.
As the new coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of San Francisco, Haave looks at her job and location as utopian in both cases. The assignment is her first as a head coach after success as a player and assistant coach.
She looks at the assignment from the perspective of 44 years, nearly 30 of those dedicated to basketball.
Her vision comes from being a pioneer of girls sports in Colorado in volleyball and basketball at Evergreen High School, All-America status at the University of Tennessee, 14 years of playing on the international circuit and seven years as an assistant coach at Regis University, the University of Colorado and the University of Denver.
Haave got a glimpse of her future new home in December when DU played the Lady Dons.
“I was able to drive around in the city a little bit,” Haave said. “I really liked what I saw. And when the job came open, I applied. This school has such a great basketball tradition. When I interviewed, I didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, but I think I was the first choice of the committee.”
The basis for her opinion about San Francisco comes from experience in places such as Paris; Melbourne, Australia; and Madrid, Spain. Haave found it tough to leave the Denver area, but she couldn’t pass up the chance to be a head coach.
“I’ve lived in some very nice places while playing basketball,” Haave said. “I did have some reservations about leaving Denver, but the opportunity, and to live in such an awesome place, was something I couldn’t pass up. There’s so much diversity here and so much to do.”
Haave takes over a program that is a little down, but not in a complete rebuilding mode after finishing 9-20 last season.
“There’s really some talent here,” Haave said. “I found the program to be in good shape. I didn’t get the job in time to do any recruiting, and that might be looked at as a disadvantage. But I’ve found the players here to be very receptive to me. I know the fans will support us, but we have to start winning.”
Lo Hunter, Haave’s coach at Evergreen, is excited for her former pupil.
“We’ve waited a long time,” Hunter said. “It has been a pleasure keeping track of her career. She probably was the first athlete out of our high school program to become an All-American in college. With her ability and being 6-foot-2, her attitude of being dedicated to athletics, she’s one of the best athletes Colorado has produced. She’s also the most humble person I know with all the honors she has received.”
Haave played volleyball and basketball for Hunter (1978-80) at a time when Evergreen’s girls volleyball team began a streak of 182 straight victories.
“I played volleyball because it was fun, but I didn’t have the same passion for it as I did basketball,” Haave said. “Lo Hunter was the first coach I had for three consecutive years. She taught me discipline, a work ethic and how to compete to win.”
Haave won a lot at the University of Tennessee from 1980-84 and was named an All-American in 1983. She is in the school’s Hall of Fame after scoring 1,771 points, seventh in the school’s history, and helping the Lady Vols reach the Final Four three times and the Elite Eight once. They lost to Southern Cal 72-61 in the 1984 championship game, although Haave was named the player of the game after scoring 18 points.
During her professional career, Haave played in France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Australia. She won a championship in Sweden. She’s still looking for a first basketball championship in the United States.
“That keeps me going,” Haave said, pointing to her search now as a coach. “We won two volleyball championships at Evergreen, but were third and fourth in basketball. I got to see the world playing basketball. I don’t have any regrets from that.”
She once thought she might like to be a sportswriter, but basketball and coaching is in her blood.
“It’s a combination of who I played for and who I have worked for,” Haave said.
She credits the four seasons on Ceal Barry’s staff at CU as defining.
“I learned from Ceal Barry how to run a program,” Haave said. “I feel that prepared me for this job and to be a head coach. Coaching is such an intense profession. It takes long hours, but there’s a lot of satisfaction. I love watching student-athletes develop in the sport I love.”
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
