On Monday afternoon, Iowa became the center of attention across women’s basketball. After 24 years as head coach of the Hawkeyes, Lisa Bluder announced her retirement. Less than 25 minutes later, it was revealed that longtime associate head coach Jan Jensen would be taking over the head coaching job. It’s a home run hire for the Hawkeyes. Jan Jensen spent a combined 32 years on staff with Lisa Bluder at Drake and Iowa, including 12 years as an assistant and 20 years as an associate head coach. No one else will be able to seamlessly make the transition to head coach like Jan will be able to. That being said, there is now an opening on the coaching staff. I put together three big thoughts on the open assistant coach position.
1. What is Iowa losing with Jan Jensen moving from assistant coach to head coach?
While it was an easy decision to elevate Jan Jensen from assistant coach to head coach, the Hawkeyes will lose her as the lead recruiter on the staff. Sure, Jan will still be a big part of the recruiting process, Lisa Bluder went on her fair share of recruiting trips, however, she will no longer be on the front lines recruiting. As a head coach, Jan will have a different set of demands. She won’t be able to give as much of her time towards recruiting.
It is also worth noting that her role as the “post whisperer” may change a bit. She will still be able to do her part in developing the post players, but it’s fair to say that she won’t be able to be as involved. Jan has helped nine different post players combine for 20 All-Big Ten honors over the course of 24 years at Iowa. Megan Gustafson won National Player of the Year, Monika Czinano was a four-time All-Big Ten selection and Bethany Doolittle was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. That’s just the beginning of the list.
Two big questions exist, as Jan Jensen searches for an assistant coach to fill her spot. Can she find someone that can be the lead recruiter like she was? Does she opt to find someone that can work with the post players and recruit at a high-level?
2. Will there be any movement internally on the staff? What position will be open?
This is the big question. First off, it is fair to wonder if assistant coach Jenni Fitzgerald opts to stick around. She joined Lisa Bluder’s staff at Drake the same year as Jan Jensen and has spent the last 32 years on her staff. Her current position is special assistant to the head coach dealing with behind the scenes research, advising and scouting.
From there, Jan Jensen has some decisions to make. Could she opt to elevate director of player development Tania Davis to an assistant coach role? Davis just finished her first season on staff with Iowa, but was a two-year grad assistant at Clemson and three years as an assistant coach at Omaha, so she has some experience outside of Iowa. If she was promoted to an assistant coach role, I would look for Raina Harmon to get moved to the role of lead recruiter. She has spent seven seasons as an assistant coach with the Hawkeyes.
If the Hawkeyes elevate Tania Davis to the assistant coach role, that would leave open the director of player development position. It is reasonable to say that would an easier job to fill with an external hire, rather than the assistant coach position.
3. Potential candidates for the position
This entirely depends on what is available on the coaching staff. Assistant coach? Director of Player Development? Here are a couple of names to know at both positions
DIII Washington University in St Louis Head Coach Randi Henderson
A former Hawkeye, Randi Henderson played for Iowa from 1997-2001, totaling 936 career points and 745 rebounds, which ranks 11th in program history. Henderson has an extensive coaching background, with head coach stops at Minnesota-Morris (1 year) and Coe College (9 years), while she has currently completed seven seasons as head coach at Washinton University in St Louis. Henderson has been an assistant coach at the DI level, spending two years (2015-2017) on staff under former Hawkeye and current Marquette head coach Cara Consuegra. All together, Henderson has 19 years of coaching experience.
It is worth noting that Randi Henderson was a 6’3 center for the Hawkeyes and was coached by Jan Jensen as a senior during the 2000-01 season. Henderson averaged 13.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. If the Hawkeyes are trying to fill the assistant coach position with someone with post experience, Randi Henderson should be the first person that Jan Jensen calls.
Towson Assistant Coach Zion Sanders
Another former Hawkeye, Zion Sanders played at Iowa from 2017-21, appearing in 63 games over the course of her career. Sanders spent two years at Tennessee as a grad assistant, before heading to Towson, where she was an assistant coach this past season. If Jan Jensen opts to go the route of finding someone with an Iowa connection, Zion Sanders could certainly be a possibility.
Former Iowa PG Kathleen Doyle
Everybody will remember the number 22 for Caitlin Clark, but Kathleen Doyle could hoop as well. She played at Iowa from 2016-2020 and is currently an assistant boys basketball coach at Benet Academy High School in the Chicago area. She played her high school basketball at Benet. Maybe Jan Jensen opts to bring another former guard back to fill the director of player development role if it is open?
Former Iowa G Kate Martin
I’m just throwing this out there. The WNBA Finals end in late October, so theoretically, Kate Martin could be in Iowa City during the offseason as the director of player development, right? Beth Goetz did say that she has a spot open for Kate on the staff when she decides she is ready to come back to Iowa. That being said, I think a potential opening on the staff is a couple years too early for Kate given the fact that she just made the Las Vegas Aces opening day roster. Who knows, maybe she can do both jobs.
The post Three thoughts on the open Iowa Women’s Basketball assistant coach position appeared first on On3.