It didn’t take long for the Iowa women’s basketball team to announce its next head coach.
Minutes after longtime head coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement after 24 seasons, Associate Head Coach Jan Jensen was announced as the sixth head coach in program history.
“This program has always been about family, and the contributions to its incredible culture are shared by alums, current, student-athletes and the entire staff. One of those contributors has been in the team circle for 24 years as a tireless recruiter, skilled teacher of the game, and charismatic personality that has endeared her to the Hawkeye community,” Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz said. “Coach Jensen has been an instrumental part of our success, assisting in all aspects of the program. After several conversations with Coach Bluder and President Wilson over the last few days, it is clear that everything that we are seeking in a head coach, we have found right here.”
“I am now beyond elated to begin my new role and want to thank President Wilson and Beth for the opportunity to lead this program. I truly love The University of Iowa and I am profoundly honored and excited to continue building on our success. The support we have in every realm from our administration, donors, alumni and fans is unmatched and I am so proud to be a part of this special university,” Jensen said in a statement.
Jensen has served on the Iowa coaching staff since 2000, the same year Bluder was named head coach. Jensen was named associate head coach in 2004 and has been regarded as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches in women’s basketball since. During Jensen’s tenure with Iowa, the Hawkeyes have won 533 games, five Big Ten Tournament championships, two Big Ten regular season titles, and two consecutive Final Four appearances, each of which resulted in a berth in the national championship game.
Hailing from Kimballton, Iowa, Jensen averaged 66 points per game during her senior season of high school in 1987, a mark that led the entire nation that year. For her accomplishments, she was inducted into the Iowa Girls High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Jensen then moved on to Drake University, where she once again led the country in scoring during her senior season in 1991 with Bluder as the head coach.
Following a few professional seasons in Europe, Jensen returned to Drake as an assistant coach under Bluder, where she spent seven seasons. Jensen was offered the head coaching position in Des Moines after Bluder left for Iowa City, but she declined in order to coach the Hawkeyes.
In addition to her role as associate head coach, Jensen also served as the recruiting coordinator and has been credited with landing some of the most decorated players in program history, including Megan Gustafson, Monika Czinano, and Caitlin Clark.