Lisa Bluder retirement: New Iowa HC Jan Jensen provides an update about veteran coach’s future role
Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement by transferring the torch to the assistant coach, Jan Jensen, on Monday. This will be the first time Jensen will be the head coach of a college basketball program and will need some guidance in the process.
However, Jensen is expected to do well as she has worked under the legendary Bluder. Chad Leistikow, a Des Moines Register and Press-Citizen columnist, also confirmed on X that Lisa Bluder will stay as an advisor for Jensen.
"Jan Jensen says that Lisa Bluder will stay on as an adviser to her and the team," Chad tweeted.
Bluder talked about Jensen's potential as a coach during her retirement announcement.
"There's no better person to lead this program than Jan Jensen, and I am thrilled she will have the opportunity to build on the foundation established. I'm committed to helping her, and her staff, in whatever capacity they need moving forward," Bluder said.
Jan Jensen is well aware of Bluder's techniques and strengths as she has not only worked as her assistant but also was a player for her at Drake University.
Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark also appreciated Jan Jensen's promotion and reflected her trust in Jensen.
"The program is going to be in really good shape with Coach J taking over. Somebody that's been very selfless," Clark said.
Lisa Bluder, the winningest coach in the Iowa program's history, guided the Hawkeyes to two NCAA tournament finals. However, they lost both in the last two years to LSU and South Carolina.
Jensen can use Bluder's support to shape the new Iowa roster after the departure of key players like Caitlin Clark, Molly Davis and Gabbie Marshall and become the next successful coach for Iowa.
Jan Jensen talks about rebuilding the Iowa roster for the 2024 campaign
After being promoted as the new head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Jan Jensen doesn't have an easy job. A big program like Iowa, with a consistent appearance in the NCAA tournaments, will have big expectations from the new coach.
Jense recently spoke to the media about her first experience for Iowa and the rebuilding she is about to initiate.
"It feels like the first day of school," Jensen said. "It's going to be rebuilding in the sense that you graduated tremendous seniors. Certainly, a generational player like Caitlin (Clark).
"There will be fans that, you know, were Caitlin fans, but I really believe that a lot of people came for Caitlin but they stayed for Hannah (Stuelke). They stayed for Syd (Affolter). They certainly stayed for Kate (Martin) and Gabbie (Marshall)."
With the names she mentioned, it indeed looks like the future of Iowa is still in good hands with those players and her, still under Lisa Bluder's advice, as a coach.