"Rise & shine its camp week": Iowa HC Jan Jensen gets ready for big week as search for new weapons in women's basketball begins
Nearly a month after she was appointed to be the Iowa Hawkeyes' new coach, Jan Jensen seems driven to imbibe a new energy in the roster. The program needs all of it as stars Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin have moved on. While the institution has successfully inducted multiple fresh faces from the 2024 class, there is still plenty of room to add more talent.
With that, as the Hawkeyes begin its week-long evaluation of upcoming players, Jensen posted a photo of today's sunrise to celebrate the program's camp.
"Rise & Shine! It's camp week! Let's Goooo!!!! Wishing an energetic week to all," Jensen wrote.
Jan Jensen became Lisa Bluder's successor after working 32 years as an assistant coach on her staff. Eight of those years came at Drake while the remaining 24 with Iowa. Jensen was named the nation's best assistant coach of the year in 2023.
Jensen has a decorated legacy to follow. Bluder was named Big 10 Coach of the Year thrice in the initial half of her Iowa stint. She was also the Naismith Coach of the Year in 2019 and had several Hall of Fame honors.
Bluder ended her career with 884 wins, ranking 10th in NCAA women’s basketball history. She is also the most successful coach in Big 10 history, with a 262-145 record.
Nevertheless, Jan Jensen was part of Iowa throughout the two recent championship game appearances and 22 postseason appearances. She was one of the instrumental elements in forging the Hawkeyes culture and has had a big impact on every aspect of the program, including consistent mentorship of the roster.
All about Jan Jensen's Iowa Hawkeyes camp
The Hawkeyes have already found a quartet of fresh faces for the upcoming season and multiple promising picks for the 2025 talent pool. Nevertheless, the program is still pushing its recruitment through a camp week.
The five-day camp is segregated into three segments and will feature players from grade 2 to grade 12. The Elite Camp is scheduled for Monday and it will showcase players from grades 8 to 12 alongside high-level prospects with varsity experience.
The Junior Hawk Camp (June 19-20) and The Big Shots Camp (June 20-21) will be for players entering grades 2 to 5 and 6 to 8, respectively. They will focus on the overall fundamentals of offense and defense.
Moreover, every participant will get to learn directly from Jan Jensen and her coaching staff alongside former and current Iowa Hawkeyes players. There will also be individual skill mentorship, awards and goodies.