Jan Jensen recalls process of learning about Lisa Bluder retirement, her promotion

The Iowa women’s basketball program will undergo a seismic shift in 2024-25, following the departure of superstar Caitlin Clark and the subsequent retirement of head coach Lisa Bluder. New coach Jan Jensen takes over.

Jensen described how she found out about Bluder’s retirement, which came as out of the blue for her as it did for most.

They were in the facilities one day when Bluder set up a seemingly innocuous meeting. Athletics director Beth Goetz was not yet involved for Jensen.

“She came back and said, ‘I want to bring you by some coffee,'” Jensen recalled. “I said, ‘Oh yeah.’ I just thought… Jenni (Fitzgerald) showed up too and I thought, ‘Oh, woah, what’s happening here?’ But then after that point we rolled. And then Beth within probably 24 hours just reached out to have a conversation.”

Soon, Jensen would learn she was being tapped for the head coaching position. She didn’t sound overly surprised, even though Bluder’s decision itself was a surprise.

The new head coach hinted that the departing Bluder had been negatively recruited based on questions about how long she’d remain in charge.

“I think Lisa had, when we’re recruiting, a lot of people asked, I think any time you’re an experienced coaching staff, that’s always questions you have to face whether it’s from your competition that’s trying to find a way to outrecruit you or get the recruits to think otherwise,” Jan Jensen said.

“But I think that’s been the fun and the beauty of our staff, is that we just went and we worked and enjoyed every step.”

Bluder certainly had an amazing career. She spent 24 years coaching up the Hawkeyes, winning more than 500 games and reaching the national championship game in back-to-back years.

She coached superstars like Clark and Megan Gustafson, two of the game’s best.

At the end of the day, though, she was ready to call it a career. Jensen said it came down to having some moments of clarity.

“I think when Lisa got some clarity — I think some day Lisa will probably take some questions and be interviewed — but she just got some clarity,” Jan Jensen said. “I heard when everybody gets to that point of retiring you know when you know.

“There was never, ‘Oh after Caitlin leaves’ or ‘Oh, after Megan leaves.’ What I always appreciated about Lisa is she had a blast doing it. She always loved that competition. I think when she had some time to — I don’t want to put words in her mouth — but just had time to really center I just think it became clearer. And when it became clearer it was kind of a shocker.”