Has Lisa Bluder ever won a championship? Looking at the Iowa HC's NCAA tournament record

Former Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder is a well-known figure in college basketball. She had stints coaching both St. Ambrose and Drake, before taking up the role at Iowa. Long before she wore the coach's hat, she represented the University of Northern Iowa for three seasons.

Let's get straight to the burning question! Does she have an NCAA championship to her name? Let's find out.

Does Lisa Bluder have NCAA silverware in her cabinet?

Unfortunately, her 40-year coaching career, which includes the milestone of being Iowa's most successful head coach, has not yielded a championship win yet.

She came agonizingly close in this decade, with Iowa dropping two consecutive finals in 2023 and 2024.

Despite not securing an NCAA title, she has led Iowa to eight straight 20-win seasons (nine in total), since her appointment in April 2000.

Under her guidance, the Iowa Hawkeyes forged a strong reputation in postseason tournaments. She took them to 16 postseason appearances in total, including 12 NCAA Tournament and four WNIT appearances. The fact that Iowa made 8 out of their 12 NCCA appearances in the last 10 seasons is a testament to her longevity as a coach.

Bluder had six successful seasons at St. Ambrose University. She guided them to four consecutive national tournaments and was honored with the NAIA Converse Coach of the Year title. She then went 187-106 over 10 seasons at Drake University.

Additionally, she had the opportunity to coach the U.S.A. women's basketball team at the 2015 Pan American Games held in Canada. She guided them to the championship game where they lost to Canada in a very close encounter, securing a silver medal.

She was also named Naismith Coach of the Year in 2019 after securing her 500th win. While an NCAA championship may have eluded her so far, her legacy as a basketball coach never was, is, or will ever be in doubt.

Unfortunately, Bluder finished her coaching career without winning an NCAA Championship. The former Iowa WBB HC recently announced her retirement with an emotional goodbye to fans.

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