Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — June 2017
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa women’s head basketball coach Lisa Bluder announced several staff changes on Friday. Jenni Fitzgerald has been promoted to associate head coach, Abby Stamp has been elevated to director of player development, and former Hawkeye Kathryn Reynolds has been hired as the new director of operations.
Fitzgerald enters her 18th year with the Iowa women’s basketball program in 2017-18. She is responsible for off-campus recruiting and coaches the perimeter players. She also handles most of the film breakdown, scouting, and directs summer basketball camps.
A native of Long Grove, Iowa, Fitzgerald has helped guide Iowa to 16 postseason appearances, including 12 NCAA Tournament berths. Iowa has earned 10 consecutive postseason invitations (eight NCAA and two WNIT). During her time at Iowa, the Hawkeyes claimed the 2001 Big Ten Tournament championship and the 2008 Big Ten regular season title. She has also helped lead Iowa to 11 upper division finishes in the Big Ten, and its first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1996 in 2015.
“I’m happy to have Jenni earn the title of associate head coach,” said Bluder. “She has been an unbelievable assistant coach. We’ve worked together for 25 years and she has been nothing but loyal, hard-working, and organized. She deserves this title change and I’m glad that we are able to accommodate it this year.”
Stamp has spent the last eight years as Iowa’s director of operations, working closely with the basketball staff to help coordinate and carry out day-to-day activities of the program. The Winterset, Iowa, native will now play an instrumental role in the lives of Iowa’s student-athletes, developing them into strong leaders and role models in the Iowa City community.
A member of the Iowa basketball team from 2005-08, Stamp played in 123 career games, including 22 starts. She scored 299 career points, collected 144 rebounds, and dished out 177 assists.
“This puts Abby one step closer to being an assistant coach on the floor,” said Bluder. “She did an unbelievable job in the operations position. She held that position for eight years. She will still have some administrative duties, but now she will be much more involved in the coaching side of things.”
Reynolds was a letterwinner at Iowa from 2011-15. The 2015 co-captain played a pivotal role in Iowa’s first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1996. Reynolds was a three-time academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. Reynolds was awarded the WBCA’s Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship in 2015 and named to the WBCA Allstate Good Works Team in 2014.
“Kathryn made such an impact for us as a player,” said Bluder. “She was captain of our team two years ago and was tackling law school at the same time. Now that she has graduated law school, we are thrilled to have her back. Kathryn embraces everything you want in a Hawkeye. Her integrity and work ethic are second to none.”
