SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — On Thursday, June 22, South Lake Tahoe Mayor Cristi Creegan and members of the Parks and Recreation Commission held an induction ceremony for former South Tahoe High School basketball player and Stanford basketball coach Jerod Haase at Champion’s Plaza, located at the corner of Lake Tahoe Blvd and Lakeview Avenue. 

Champion’s Plaza was born soon after the 2014 Winter Olympics, in which several local athletes earned Olympic medals and in recognition of these athletes, the City Council approved the construction and design of a plaza.

Haase was given his very own square along South Lake Tahoe’s walk of fame Thursday afternoon.

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“It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. This is a destination along the way but not the destination,” said Haase about the honor.

Creegan said, “It’s really about our athletes being role models for the next generation and our kids seeing what success they can have coming from our small community, it’s a great community.”

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A born and raised Tahonian, Haase said Tahoe will always have a special place in his heart and with his mother and sister still in town, locals can expect to see him here and there when time permits.

Haase said, “the community has been so instrumental [in support of my success]. I’ve had people come see me Kansas, North Carolina and down to Stanford.”

According to a statement from the city of South Lake Tahoe, Haase played basketball at South Tahoe High School from 1988-1992. In his senior year, Haase along with the STHS basketball team won the state title against one of their longtime rivals, Western High School. During the same year, he was also selected as the Nevada AAA player of the Year.

After high school, Haase went on to play basketball at the University of California, Berkeley. Haase immediately moved into the starting lineup and averaged 12 points and three assists through the first 10 games. In his sophomore year, he transferred to the University of Kansas where he was named the Big Eight Newcomer of the Year and second team all-conference selection. 

After college, he co-wrote, a book entitled Floor Burns with author Mark Horvath. The book gave a behind the scenes look at the 1996–1997 season for the University of Kansas Jayhawks. Haase then had a brief career playing professional basketball in Macedonia. 

After playing basketball, Haase began a coaching career at the University of Kansas, University of North Carolina, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2016, he became the head basketball coach at Stanford University. In the 2017-2018 season, he led his team to a third-place finish in the Pac-12 with eleven conference wins.