From 2000 to 2024 Jan Jensen was the assistant coach to the one and only Lisa Bluder.
Now, the Iowa Hawkeyes passed her the key and the Jan Jensen era is upon us.
Jensen has lived up to the hype as she got the team to a No. 2 seed this year after they were a No. 6 seed the year prior.
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While she doesn’t have a ton of head coaching experience with the program, she lived through all of the Final Four’s and everything Bluder was able to do as the most successful coach in program history.
Jensen’s 2024-25 Tournament: No. 6 Seed
Iowa put up 92 points in the first round last year before giving up 96 to No. 3 Oklahoma in the second round. They had to play in Norman for the 2024-25 tournament, but this that won’t be the case.
The Hawkeyes won a pair of games in the B1G Tournament a year ago but failed to make it to the conference championship like they did last year. Jensen has such a small sample size as the head coach, though it’s already incredibly easy to see how much this team has grown.
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No team wants to lose 96-62 in the NCAA Tournament, but it was a learning experience for all parties involved. The Sooners exposed Iowa in more ways than one but Jensen was able to take that and turn around to put forward a stellar 26-6 season in her second year.
Jan Jensen’s All-Time Tournament Record: 1-1
Iowa had won four games in a row heading into their B1G quarter-final defeat against Ohio State in her first year as head coach. This year they had an eight game winning streak going for them before UCLA de-railed everything in the B1G Championship.
UCLA is a far different opponent from Fairliegh Dickinson and that’s something that will undoubtedly favor the Hawkeyes. This is the first time Jensen is able to host games at Carver, and Iowa’s home advantage is second to none.
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Their only home loss this year was against Minnesota in a game where they allowed 91 points. That’s unlike the same Hawkeyes team that played all season long, so it’s a clear outlier that can be looked past going into the tournament.
Jensen lived through the Final Fours and everything that transpired during the Caitlin Clark era. She may not have been the head coach, but Bluder was able to get her ready for moments like these.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa as Iowa HC Jan Jensen All-Time NCAA Tournament Record and Best Finishes.
