After a exceptional teaching profession that resulted in 884 profession victories and two nationwide runner-up finishes, Iowa ladies’s basketball head coach Lisa Bluder introduced her retirement on Monday.
“It has been the respect of my profession to be part of the Iowa Hawkeye household, and to guide a ladies’s basketball program full of so many gifted and noteworthy younger ladies, who’ve gone on to nice issues of their careers and, extra importantly, of their lives,” Bluder stated in a letter posted through X.
Bluder started her head teaching profession at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa, main the Combating Bees to 2 NAIA Last Fours and 169 victories over six seasons. In 1990, she moved over to close by Drake College, the place she piloted the Bulldogs to 4 NCAA Event appearances over her closing 5 seasons.
Bluder got here to Iowa in 2000 as, regardless of a profitable custom, it was coming off back-to-back seasons with out an NCAA Event berth. Bluder promptly ended that in her first yr, because the Hawkeyes captured the 2001 Massive Ten Event championship and superior to the second spherical of the NCAA Event.
Constant success adopted Bluder and Iowa over the subsequent decade, however the Hawkeyes actually hit their stride from 2018-2024, which featured the rise of superstars Megan Gustafson and Caitlin Clark. Gustafson led the workforce to the 2019 Elite Eight, and the stardom of Clark resulted in back-to-back nationwide championship sport appearances in 2023 and 2024.
Longtime affiliate head coach Jan Jensen was tabbed as Bluder’s substitute. Jensen beforehand served as an assistant coach beneath Bluder for everything of her Iowa tenure, and likewise performed for Bluder for one season at Drake.
“I’m now past elated to start my new position and need to thank President Wilson and Beth for the chance to guide this program.” Jensen stated in a college launch. “I actually love The College of Iowa and I’m profoundly honored and excited to proceed constructing on our success. The help we have now in each realm from our administration, donors, alumni and followers is unmatched and I’m so proud to be part of this particular college,
Since her promotion to affiliate head coach in 2004, Jensen has been extensively thought to be one of many nation’s high assistant coaches and is well-known for her sturdy improvement of put up gamers corresponding to Gustafson and Monika Czinano through the years. She additionally helped persuade Clark to remain house and play for the Hawkeyes as an alternative of sticking with Notre Dame, her preliminary alternative.
