Lisa Bluder retires (merged)

[mainerhuski]

Hmm. Did Lucy Olsen know that before she committed?

Can Olsen go elsewhere?

 

[mainerhuski]

UConn could be in a similar situation a year from now when Paige and Azzi depart.

I thought I had read that Geno & CD were negotiating a new multi-year contract this year?

 

[The deacon]

Wow seems from out of nowhere

After 40 years coaching, it would seem retirement's something that's been on her mind for a while, just as it has been for Tara, Geno... many others. Heck, of course they think about it.

 

[The deacon]

As the kids say these days, she's shook.

Much as I have admired and cheered for Caitlin, Kate has been my favorite Hawkeye player for the past several years. She's a coach in the making, and showed right here her maturity and ability to handle surprising news thrown at her during what had to be an emotional press conference about her own playing career.

Go, Kate. Good luck this season!

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Like they could be sisters.

Fun fact: Chris Dailey is my home girl.

 

[bballnut90]

Bluder finishes with 884 wins, just 17 shy of passing Jody Conradt for 10th all-time.

Active coaches:

1. 1213 - Geno
2. 915 - Andy Yosinoff (D3 Emmanuel)
3. 881 - Tom Shirley (D2 Jefferson)
4. 866 - Joe Foley (Little Rock)
5. 831 - Wes Moore
6. 805 - Dave Silfer (D2 Central Mo)
7. 797 - Mike Davis (NAIA Central Methodist)
8. 786 - Doug Bruno
9. 777 - Bill Fennelly
10. 768 - Joe McKeown

Oddly, all men!

In the last 5 years we've lost many all time greats to retirement:
Tara Vanderveer- #1 all time in wins (1216)
Barbara Stevens- #4 all time (1058)
C Vivian Stringer- #5 all time (1055)
Sylvia Hatchell- #6 all time (1023)
Muffet McGraw- #7 all time (936)
Lisa Bluder- #11 all time (884)

Also worth noting--all women. Seems like the women have been retiring earlier than the men.

 

[Bone Dog]

I thought she looked a bit more tired than usual this season.

 

[ucbart]

Wow--didn't see this coming with all the attention on Iowa women's basketball right now and their fan support. They had a solid roster lined up for next year too and Bluder was recruiting well.

Heck of a career for Lisa, she's Iowa royalty and her standout teams will not be forgotten anytime soon. I hope she enjoys retirement.

Smart move by Bluder as there is a 0000000% chance anyone close to the caliber of Clark is ever walking through Carver-Hawkeye arena again. Lisa is a good coach who had an uber talent fall into her lap and used her beautifully. Let's be honest though, she's had the biggest show ever in WBB, but got 0 recruiting success out of it....at a P5 school. It's not like Delaware having EDD. This is the B10.

I say good for her. I can't imagine the emotional toll coaching takes and she is still young enough to do so many things.

Congrats, Lisa.

 

[IArick]

As the kids say these days, she's shook.

She hadn't found out that her Aunt was going to be head coach at that time.

 

[Bigboote]

I hadn't realized till just now that Martin made the Aces' opening-day roster. I thought that was a long shot, but it's absolutely wonderful news. It was so cool on draft night when she was there to support Clark and got picked, and ESPN interviewed her. I think Coach Hammon can make good use of a tough, heady big guard/wing.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Much as I have admired and cheered for Caitlin, Kate has been my favorite Hawkeye player for the past several years. She's a coach in the making, and showed right here her maturity and ability to handle surprising news thrown at her during what had to be an emotional press conference about her own playing career.

Go, Kate. Good luck this season!

Her reaction even more impressive when you know that her maternal Aunt is married to Jensen so she was also learning her aunt by marriage had been named the new coach of her Alma Mater.

 

[bballnut90]

Smart move by Bluder as there is a 0000000% chance anyone close to the caliber of Clark is ever walking through Carver-Hawkeye arena again. Lisa is a good coach who had an uber talent fall into her lap and used her beautifully. Let's be honest though, she's had the biggest show ever in WBB, but got 0 recruiting success out of it....at a P5 school. It's not like Delaware having EDD. This is the B10.

I say good for her. I can't imagine the emotional toll coaching takes and she is still young enough to do so many things.

Congrats, Lisa.

She has 4 top 100 recruits signed for next year, landed a high profile transfer in Lucy Olsen and a top 15 player in 2025. She was recruiting well, albeit not at the level of UCONN or South Carolina where everyone is a HS All American.

 

[Vowelguy]

She has 4 top 100 recruits signed for next year, landed a high profile transfer in Lucy Olsen and a top 15 player in 2025. She was recruiting well, albeit not at the level of UCONN or South Carolina where everyone is a HS All American.

There also was that top recruit who got hit by the car and was badly injured; (likely) ending her career.

 

[BigTenGuy]

. . . Lisa is a good coach who had an uber talent fall into her lap and used her beautifully.

Don't think Clark fell into Bluder's lap. During and immediately after the build up of Bluder's first Elite 8 team, with Gustafson as national POY, Iowa recruited Clark harder and spent more money to recruit her than any other player they had ever recruited, including following her to Thailand to watch her play USA Basketball games. Clark's open gyms, mainly for out-of-state coaches who had flown in, were early in the morning, before school, and Jan Jensen would leave Iowa City every open gym day at 4:30 a.m. to attend every Clark open gym. After losing in the Elite 8 to Baylor in 2019, Bluder went to Des Moines to tell Clark that she was the missing piece, that she could take Iowa to the Final Four. And after all that work, Clark told Bluder that she was not coming to Iowa, that she was going to Notre Dame. A body blow to Bluder. Iowa had lost again on a nearby McDonald's All American recruit, the usual result for Big Ten schools (other than Ohio State and newcomer Maryland) that struggle to recruit McDonald's All American talent.

But on Clark's official visit to Notre Dame, when she committed to Notre Dame, she said things didn't feel right. Her Catholic family wanted her to go to Notre Dame, but she wasn't feeling it, and she didn't announce her commitment to Notre Dame on social media. After a few more weeks, she decided to go to Iowa rather than even closer-to-home Iowa State, and committed to Bluder on the phone, even before telling her mom. Of course, if Clark wasn't from Iowa, she would never have gone to Iowa. But fell in Bluder's lap, I don't' think so.

 

[IArick]

Smart move by Bluder as there is a 0000000% chance anyone close to the caliber of Clark is ever walking through Carver-Hawkeye arena again. Lisa is a good coach who had an uber talent fall into her lap and used her beautifully. Let's be honest though, she's had the biggest show ever in WBB, but got 0 recruiting success out of it....at a P5 school. It's not like Delaware having EDD. This is the B10.

I say good for her. I can't imagine the emotional toll coaching takes and she is still young enough to do so many things.

Congrats, Lisa.

We have a top 10 freshman class coming in and off to a really good start with the 2025 class. I think there is potential to continue on.

 

[triaddukefan]

In the last 5 years we've lost many all time greats to retirement:
Tara Vanderveer- #1 all time in wins (1216)
Barbara Stevens- #4 all time (1058)
C Vivian Stringer- #5 all time (1055)
Sylvia Hatchell- #6 all time (1023)
Muffet McGraw- #7 all time (936)
Lisa Bluder- #11 all time (884)

Also worth noting--all women. Seems like the women have been retiring earlier than the men.

Perhaps the men don't want to retire because that would mean more time spent at home with their wives?

 

[Dynastic]

After 40 years coaching, it would seem retirement's something that's been on her mind for a while, just as it has been for Tara, Geno... many others. Heck, of course they think about it.

I think I read where she thought about it at the beginning of this last season, and then made the the decision with her husband after the season.

 

[DRR25]

Don't think Clark fell into Bluder's lap. During and immediately after the build up of Bluder's first Elite 8 team, with Gustafson as national POY, Iowa recruited Clark harder and spent more money to recruit her than any other player they had ever recruited, including following her to Thailand to watch her play USA Basketball games. Clark's open gyms, mainly for out-of-state coaches who had flown in, were early in the morning, before school, and Jan Jensen would leave Iowa City every open gym day at 4:30 a.m. to attend every Clark open gym. After losing in the Elite 8 to Baylor in 2019, Bluder went to Des Moines to tell Clark that she was the missing piece, that she could take Iowa to the Final Four. And after all that work, Clark told Bluder that she was not coming to Iowa, that she was going to Notre Dame. A body blow to Bluder. Iowa had lost again on a nearby McDonald's All American recruit, the usual result for Big Ten schools (other than Ohio State and newcomer Maryland) that struggle to recruit McDonald's All American talent.

But on Clark's official visit to Notre Dame, when she committed to Notre Dame, she said things didn't feel right. Her Catholic family wanted her to go to Notre Dame, but she wasn't feeling it, and she didn't announce her commitment to Notre Dame on social media. After a few more weeks, she decided to go to Iowa rather than even closer-to-home Iowa State, and committed to Bluder on the phone, even before telling her mom. Of course, if Clark wasn't from Iowa, she would never have gone to Iowa. But fell in Bluder's lap, I don't' think so.

I hear what you're saying but I think the fact that Clark lived in Iowa was what gave Bluder any chance at all of Clark considering Iowa. Has Iowa ever gotten a top 5 recruit prior to Clark? Also, how is Iowa State even closer to home for CC? Isn't she from West Des Moines?

 

[Matthew1589]

I hear what you're saying but I think the fact that Clark lived in Iowa was what gave Bluder any chance at all of Clark considering Iowa. Has Iowa ever gotten a top 5 recruit prior to Clark? Also, how is Iowa State even closer to home for CC? Isn't she from West Des Moines?

WDSM and Ames (Iowa State) are 40 minutes apart, Iowa City is 2 hours, yes location was huge in getting CC. Bluder got a top 10 recruit in Sam Logic and Kathleen Doyle was ranked #20 by one recruiting service, but much lower by others and turned out to be BIG POY. She went all in on Caitlin even when Oregon looked to be the front runner.

 

[BigTenGuy]

I hear what you're saying but I think the fact that Clark lived in Iowa was what gave Bluder any chance at all of Clark considering Iowa.

I agree. I was quarreling with the assertion that Clark fell into Bluder’s lap, which is false. “If something good falls into someone's lap, it happens to them without any effort on their part.”

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/fall-into-someones-lap

Other definitions define fall into someone’s lap as something coming to a person even though he/she was not trying to get it.

Definition of DROP/FALL INTO SOMEONE'S LAP

to come to a person suddenly in an unexpected way even though he or she did not try to get it… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Clark landing at Iowa took 3 things, all of which were necessary: (1) enormous and sustained recruiting effort by Bluder/Jan Jensen; (2) timing, Iowa had just been to an Elite 8 and just produced a national POY, supporting the ideas that Final Fours/national accolades at Iowa were realistically possible; and (3) geographic location, Clark was from Iowa.

Contrast that to Minnesota, where a steady stream of local McDonald’s AAs have rejected the home state team, which hasn’t been to a Sweet 16 since 2005. No coach from Minnesota would have followed Paige Bueckers to Thailand to watch her play for USA Basketball, because there was never much reason to hope that she would select the home state school.

 

[cancontent]

This answers the question about whether anyone would consider the portal with the recent change.

 

[BigTenGuy]

Certainly appropriate, but the timing of a UConn offer to Clark might also have mattered. If the offer had come after the summer of 2019, not sure Clark would have jumped on a UConn offer. Paige committed in the spring of 2019, and during the summer of 2019, Clark played behind Paige on the U19 World Cup team, with Paige leading the team in minutes, and Clark being 7th in minutes. Not sure Clark would have committed at that point. At Notre Dame, her family's choice at that point, she wouldn't have to face internal competition as good as Paige. Alternatively, if the offer had come in the summer of 2018, Clark may very well have committed to UConn first. In turn, that could have impacted Paige.

 

[DRR25]

Just my opinion but I actually don't think CC would have gone to UConn. She definitely wanted to be recruited by Geno--who wouldn't--but I don't think she would have ended up there if she had gotten an offer.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

She has 4 top 100 recruits signed for next year, landed a high profile transfer in Lucy Olsen and a top 15 player in 2025. She was recruiting well, albeit not at the level of UCONN or South Carolina where everyone is a HS All American.

To Iowa , which isn't exactly a destination for most college he'd basketball players.

They definitely got a Clark recruiting bounce.

She's also produced other all Americans.

Was she going to be a perennial elite? Probably not, no.