IOWA CITY, Iowa — P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Iowa women’s basketball coach, Lisa Bluder, was tabbed a Semifinalist for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year award on Thursday. Bluder was a semifinalist a season ago and was the recipient of the award in 2019.
The Naismith Coach of the Year award is presented annually to the most outstanding men’s and women’s head coach who achieves tremendous on-court success.
Jersey Mike’s is proud to partner with the Naismith Awards in recognizing the outstanding efforts of collegiate athletes and coaches, rewarding their drive and achievements on the court.
Bluder has guided the program to its eighth consecutive season with 20 or more victories in her 24th year as the head coach at the University of Iowa. Under her direction, Iowa has won three straight Big Ten Tournament titles and had six out of the last seven Big Ten POYs.
Once again, this year fans will have a say in the determining the winner. Starting March 26 fans can visit www.naismithfanvote.com or on Twitter (@MarchMadnessWBB) and (@naismithtrophy) to cast their ballot for one of the four Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy and Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year finalists. Voting ends at 5 p.m. EDT on April 2 and fans are limited to one vote per day. The fan vote will account for 5% of the total vote.
Coach Notes
– Bluder owns 18 AP Top 10 wins which is the most in program history.
– Is third among active DI coaches in the country for most wins. (879)
– Longest tenured coach in the Big Ten conference.
– All-time winningest coach in Iowa women’s basketball history.
– Owns the most Big Ten conference wins in conference history.
– Has coached six out of the last seven Big Ten players of the year.
– Won seven Big Ten titles. (5 Big Ten Tournaments and 2 Regular Season)
– Coached two consensus National Player of the Years.
– Has coached the Hawkeyes to 22 postseason appearances in 24 seasons, including NCAA Tournament berths in 14 of the last 16 seasons.
– She has led UI to the Sweet 16 (2021), Elite Eight (2019), National Championship (2023) in three out of the last four championship seasons. (Covid)
About the Atlanta Tipoff Club
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.