Lisa Bluder was the longtime head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. She has guided Iowa to several conference championships and multiple NCAA tournament appearances, including a runner-up finish in the 2022-23 season.

Bluder is the mentor to superstar guard Caitlin Clark. Her experience as a former player for the University of Northern Iowa helped her understand the tendencies of her players and effectively guide her teams to winning records.

In this article, we delve into Bluder’s stint with UNI and her coaching stints with St Ambrose, Drake and Iowa.

Did Lisa Bluder ever play basketball?

Bluder, formerly Lisa Geske, first tasted competitive basketball at Linn-Mar High School where she played for four seasons of six-on-six hoops. She transferred to UNI after graduating in 1979 and was a three-year starter for the Panthers.

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Bluder appeared in 108 games for UNI and averaged 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. She was a reliable wing player who could shoot the ball from 15 to 17 feet.

The six-foot-three forward established school records in games played in a season (31) and her 19 rebounds against Illinois-Chicago was second-best in UNI’s history.

Head coach Lisa Bluder of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts during the first half of a game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Bluder accepts St. Ambrose coaching job after UNI stint

Bluder was hired as coach and assistant athletic director of St Ambrose College in 1984. She guided the Fighting Bees to six winning records and two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Fab Four stints.

Her exploits with the Fighting Bees rewarded Bluder four NAIA District 15 Coach of the Year awards. That was her passport to securing a new coaching job with Drake University.

She served as Drake’s bench tactician for 11 years and mentored the Bulldogs to multiple Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles and Valley tournament crowns.

Bluder was a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year, and her exploits with the Fighting Bees helped her win four NAIA District 15 Coach of the Year awards. That led to securing a new coaching job with Drake University.

She served as Drake’s bench tactician for 10 seasons and led the Bulldogs to multiple Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles and Valley tournament crowns.

Lisa Bluder, who guided Drake to 149 wins, was a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and was chosen by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as its top mentor in 1997.

In April 2000, Iowa named Bluder their new women’s coach. Under her tutelage, the Hawkeyes won 517 games and appeared in 17 NCAA tournaments.

Bluder’s sensational career with Iowa came to an end in 2024. She announced her retirement after leading the program to two Final Four appearances in the last two years of her career.