What does Lisa Bluder's retirement mean for future of Iowa women's basketball?

Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder shockingly retired on Monday afternoon. This comes after national phenomenon Caitlin Clark moved on to the WNBA and players like Kate Martin, Gabby Marshall and Molly Davis exhausted their eligibility. 

The timing sent shock waves through women’s college basketball. The decision comes nearly two weeks after the transfer portal closed. 

“It has been the honor of my career to be a part of the Iowa Hawkeye family, and to lead a women’s basketball program filled with so many talented and remarkable young women, who have gone on to do great things in their careers and, more importantly, in their lives,” Bluder said in a statement.

“There is never an ideal time to retire. I am sure this fall that I will miss the games, the practices, the road trips, the atmosphere, the tremendous fans and, most importantly, the players. But my belief in the foundation of this program, knowing that success is now an unrelenting component of women’s basketball at the University of Iowa gives me comfort as I transition to become the program’s biggest champion.”

Lisa Bluder will be missed

In the summer of 2023, Lisa Bluder received an extension that would’ve kept her under contract through 2029. The Hawkeyes landed one of the top players in the portal this offseason – the nation’s third-leading scorer, Lucy Olsen. 

Bluder took the Hawkeyes to unprecedented heights in her 24 seasons at the helm at Iowa, highlighted by back-to-back national title game appearances. The program hadn’t made a Final Four appearance since 1993 and had never made a national championship game. The Hawkeyes were also five-time Big Ten Tournament champions and two-time Big Ten regular-season champions in her 24 years with the program. She was named Big Ten Coach of the Year three times and Naismith College Coach of the Year in 2019.

“I want to congratulate Lisa on an outstanding career in which she has dedicated countless hours to growing the game of women’s basketball,” Indiana coach Teri Moren told On3. “She has been a tremendous leader for the young women who she has coached through her 40-year career. Her dedication to the Big Ten Conference will also hold a lasting impact. We are all wishing her the best in her next chapter.”

Maryland coach Brenda Frese said Bluder’s longevity “speaks for itself.”

“I’m thrilled for her that she can do it on her own terms,” Frese told On3. “I hope she gets to enjoy the fruits of all her labors.

“She was a perfect hire for Iowa and sustained a consistent winner for so long. When we played her teams, we knew they’d be well prepared. She always did a great job utilizing her best players. And to her credit, when the greatest player any of us has seen came along, she adapted, put her own ego to the side and let her flourish. In return, I think it gave Lisa peace with what they accomplished.”

Simply no one better at building a team… Thank you for believing in me more than anyone 🤍 Enjoy retirement, coach. Very much deserved 🥹 https://t.co/XnxmteSCTq

— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) May 13, 2024

Who takes over for Lisa Bluder?

Associate head coach Jan Jensen was immediately announced as Bluder’s successor after 24 years with the program – including the past two decades as the associate head coach. This means it’s likely that the rest of the staff will stay intact and that there won’t be a mass exodus by the players. 

“[Jan Jensen] 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.”

Jensen has been an integral part of Iowa’s recent success, so the decision to make her the next head coach doesn’t come as a surprise. 

What happens with Iowa roster?

For now, the Hawkeyes need to retain their current roster – including Olsen. The transfer portal may technically be “closed”, but if there is a coaching change, players receive an extra 30-day window to enter the transfer portal.

It will be imperative for the future of the program to retain sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke, who averaged 14 points and 6.6 rebounds last season while shooting 63% from the field. Iowa also returns rising seniors Sydney Affolter (8.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Sharon Goodman (4.3 ppg) and Addison O’Grady (3.9 ppg). They have a class of five incoming freshmen, and four are ranked in ESPN’s Top 100.

But the biggest priority should be retaining Olsen’s commitment. 

She averaged 23.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game last season as a junior at Villanova. She was the Hawkeyes’ bonafide Clark “replacement” as a high-scoring, versatile point guard.

With Clark off to the WNBA, the Hawkeyes won’t be the national powerhouse that they’ve been recently, but with a solid foundation of talent, they could still be a top-25 team if they retain their most important personnel.