IOWA CITY, Iowa – The P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, Lisa Bluder was named a 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s Coach of the Year Semifinalist on Thursday.
Bluder has guided the program to its seventh consecutive season with 20 or more victories in her 23rd year as the head coach at the University of Iowa. This week, the No. 2 Hawkeyes earned their highest AP ranking in school history since 1994.
Most recently, the Hawkeyes cut down the nets at the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis. It was Iowa’s third BTT title since 2019. Bluder has won four of Iowa’s five tournament championships. She has also coached five out of the last six Big Ten Player of the Year award winners.
Under Bluder’s direction, the Hawkeyes lead the country with AP Top 10 victories with five this season. This year, Bluder notched 15 regular season conference wins which is the most in her tenure at Iowa.
As the all-time winningest coach in program history, the Hawkeyes have advanced to 21 postseason appearances (17 NCAA and four WNIT) in 23 seasons, including NCAA Tournament berths in 13 of the last 15 seasons. Iowa advanced to the postseason in 15 consecutive seasons (13 NCAA and two WNIT) when a postseason tournament was held. The 2020 pandemic cut the 2019-20 season short, resulting in the sole missed tournament season.
The award’s four finalists will be announced on Monday, March 20. The Fan Vote to help narrow the list down to the final honoree will open Tuesday, March 21, and close Tuesday, March 28. The fan vote will account for five percent of the overall final vote. The 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy for Women’s Coach of the Year will be awarded on Wednesday, March 29 during the Women’s Final Four.