Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bruder announced Monday that she is retiring after coaching the Hawkeyes for 24 years and 40 seasons overall, including appearances in the national championship game the past two seasons. Bruder, 63, is the winningest women's basketball coach in Big Ten history.
Associate head coach Jan Jensen, who was Bruder's assistant throughout his time at the University of Iowa, will become the Hawkeyes' head coach. Jensen was Bruder's assistant at Drake after playing for him with the Bulldogs.
Bruder, an Iowa State native who played at Northern Iowa, finished his career as a coach with an 884-396 record. She took over at Iowa in 2000 after serving as head coach at St. Ambrose (169-36 in six seasons) and Drake (187-106 in 10 seasons).
During his time with the Hawkeyes, Bruder went 528-254 and won the Big Ten Tournament five times. During Bruder's 24 seasons at Iowa, he appeared in the NCAA Tournament 18 times and was named Big Ten Coach of the Year three times. She went 263-144 in Big Ten play.
“Being part of the Iowa Hawkeye family has been an honor in my career,” Bruder said in a statement to fans released by Iowa State. “And to lead a women's basketball program that is full of great, talented young women who have accomplished great things in their careers and, more importantly, in their lives.”
The Hawkeyes went 34-5 last season behind star guard Caitlin Clark. Clark was the No. 1 pick in April's WNBA Draft and is scheduled to play in the Indiana Fever's WNBA season opener in Connecticut on Tuesday. The Hawkeyes lost to South Carolina in the national championship game in Cleveland. Iowa lost to LSU in the 2023 title game in Dallas. The Hawkeyes have won the last three Big Ten tournaments.
Clark scored 3,951 points as a senior last season, making him the all-time leading scorer in Division I basketball for both men and women. Clark won National Player of the Year the past two seasons.
“Nobody builds a team better than anyone,” Clark said in a post on X, adding, “Thank you for believing in me more than anyone else. Enjoy your retirement, Coach. Very well deserved. ” he said.
Bruder said he decided to retire as he began preparing for this offseason.
“After the season, I spent time with our student-athletes and coaches to reflect on the season and prepare for what’s next,” Bruder wrote. “At the same time, I began to personally reflect on what this journey means to me, how best to move this program forward, and what the future holds for my family and me. Then, after spending some time with my husband David, it became clear to me that I was ready to step aside.
“There is never an ideal time to retire and I am sure I will miss the games, practices, road trips, atmosphere, great fans and most importantly the players this fall. We have a belief in the foundation.'' Joining this program gives us peace of mind as we transition to become the program's greatest champions, knowing that success is a constant factor for University of Iowa women's basketball.'' I'll give it to you. ”