The Iowa women’s basketball coaching staff continues to change.

On Wednesday, longtime assistant coach Jenni Fitzgerald announced her retirement after 38 seasons of coaching, with 32 of those years spent under former head coach Lisa Bluder. Fitzgerald most recently served as the special assistant to the head coach and previously filled the roles of assistant coach, advisor, and associate head coach during her Iowa tenure.

It’s been a privilege to be a part of the Hawkeye family for the past 24 years,” Fitzgerald told Hawkeye Sports. “Lisa, Jan, and I had big dreams of filling arenas and hoisting trophies when we first stepped on to campus. Because of the women that came through our program and our Hawkeye community, those dreams became our reality. Retiring is bittersweet, but I know I’m one of the few people that can say they had the honor of working alongside their best friends for 32 years. I’m forever grateful for all the memories I’ve made and the people I’ve met along the way.”

“I have valued working alongside Jenni the past 32 years,” Bluder said. “She is an amazing strategist and coach, and I am thankful that I get to call her a friend for the rest of our lives!”

During Fitzgerald’s tenure, the Hawkeyes have reached the postseason 22 times, including back-to-back national championship game appearances in 2023 and 2024. Fitzgerald was primarily responsible for recruiting and developing the guards, and eight of them have reached the WNBA, including Samantha Logic, Kathleen Doyle, Kate Martin, and Cailtin Clark.

Prior to her coaching career, Fitzgerald played four seasons of college basketball for Drake University alongside current Iowa head coach Jan Jensen. She was the team’s starting point guard and three-year team captain while earning first-team all conference honors during her senior season with Bluder as the Bulldogs head coach.