Jenni Fitzgerald enters her 24th year with the University of Iowa women’s basketball team and her fifth year as Special Assistant to the Head Coach. Fitzgerald is in her 37th season in women’s college basketball as a player and coach. She is responsible for behind the scenes research, advising, and scouting.
THE FITZGERALD FILE
- Helped guide Iowa to 20 postseason appearances, including 16 NCAA Tournament berths
- Guided Iowa to a postseason appearance in each of the last 14 seasons (12 NCAA, 2 WNIT)
- Helped Iowa to Big Ten Tournament Championships in 2001, 2019, 2022, and 2023 and a 2008 Big Ten Regular Season Title
- Guided Iowa to 14 upper division finishes
- Took Iowa to its first National Championship appearance in 2023, Sweet Sixteen since 1996 in 2015 and its first Elite Eight since 1993 in 2019.
AROUND THE PERIMETER
- Under Fitzgerald’s tutelage, Iowa’s perimeter players have garnered numerous awards.
- Coached 15 players to a total of 32 All-Big Ten honors, including 11 first team selections
- Guided Jaime Printy to 2010 Big Ten Player of the Year honors
- Helped Melissa Dixon to the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year award in 2013
- Mentored six players that received all-district honors and four honorable mention All-Americans (Cara Consuegra, Kachine Alexander, Printy, and Samantha Logic)
- Guided Tania Davis (2016) and Kathleen Doyle (2017) to Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors
CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN
- Samantha Logic (2011-15)
- Named a WBCA Division I Coaches All-American, USBWA All-American, ESPN Second Team All-American, and Third Team Association Press All-American
- Logic was the only player in NCAA History to accumulate at least 1,500 career points, 800 rebounds, 800 assists, and 200 steals
- Logic surpassed Cara Consuegra (1997-2001) as Iowa’s all-time assists leader and became the 31st 1,000-point scorer in program history during the 2013-14 campaign
- Logic, the Big Ten leader in assists, notched three triple-doubles, becoming the first Big Ten player to record three triple-doubles in a single season
- Was 1-of-12 players in the country to be invited to the 2015 WNBA Draft
- Selected with the 10th pick in the first round by the Atlanta Dream and was later traded to the San Antonio Stars
- The second first round draft pick in Hawkeye history, joining Toni Foster (1997, Phoenix Mercury, 8th Pick)
SCHOOL RECORDS
- The Hawkeyes have broken numerous school records during Fitzgerald’s time at Iowa.
- In 2009-10, Iowa shattered the single season and Big Ten record for three-pointers made and attempted and tied single season marks for assists, three-pointers made in a single game, and free throw percentage
- In 2012-13, Iowa set the school record for team assists (534), before shattering the record in 2013-14 (644)
- The Hawkeyes also set the school record for scoring offense in 2013-14 (78.2), leading the league in scoring while scoring the second-most points in a season in Big Ten history (2,814)
- The Hawkeyes broke the scoring offense school record averaging 79.5 points per game in 2014-15
- Melissa Dixon was crowned the NCAA statistical champion in 2014-15 after leading all Division I players in 3-point field goals per game (3.65). She is the Iowa record holder in career 3-pointers made (334), 3-pointers made in a season (124), and 3-pointers made in a game (10). Dixon also set or tied arena records for most 3-pointers in a game in at least five venues this season (Drake, Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern, Iowa).
- Wendy Ausdemore broke or tied seven school records in her four years at Iowa while Kristi Smith became the first Hawkeye ever to amass over 400 points and 100 assists in three seasons
- In 2009-10, Kachine Alexander set new school records in free throws made and attempted in a single season
- Kamille Wahlin tied the school record for three-pointers made and set a new mark for three-pointers attempted and also became the first player in school history to record 400 career assists and 200 made 3-pointers
- Kachine Alexander became the first player in school history, and just the fifth in Big Ten history, to collect 1,000 career points, 800 career rebounds and 300 career assists.
- Jaime Printy finished her career ranked inside the top 10 in points, 3-pointers made and assists at Iowa, while also setting numerous single-game, season and career free throw marks.
LIFE BEYOND IOWA
- Four former Hawkeye guards that Fitzgerald coached continued their playing careers in the WNBA
- They include Cara Consuegra, Lindsey Meder, Crystal Smith, Kachine Alexander, and Samantha Logic
FITZGERALD AT DRAKE
- Fitzgerald is very familiar with both Lisa Bluder and fellow assistant Jan Jensen, both of whom she coached with for eight years at Drake University prior to coming to Iowa
- While at Drake, Fitzgerald worked with the guards, directed summer camps and handled the administrative duties for the Bulldog basketball program from 1993-2000
- From 1986-91, Fitzgerald was the starting point guard for the Drake Bulldogs. She was a teammate of fellow Hawkeye assistant coach Jan Jensen
- Was a senior team captain and was named to the All-Gateway Conference first team
- One of three former Drake student-athletes to receive the Drake Double D Award in 2009
- The award is presented annually to Drake letterwinners for achievements in their chosen field or endeavor and/or community service since leaving Drake. The Double D Award is the highest honor Drake bestows on its student-athletes
PERSONAL
- Graduated from Drake in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a management major
- Completed her Master of Science degree in Physical Education, with an emphasis in Sport Management, from Southern Illinois University in 1992
- While at Southern Illinois, Fitzgerald was a graduate assistant with the Salukis.
- Fitzgerald was Iowa’s 1986 Female Athlete of the Year
- Named Miss Basketball and first team all-state in basketball, volleyball and softball in 1986
- In 1995, she was inducted into the Iowa Girl’s Basketball Hall of Fame
- Fitzgerald is the daughter of Bob and Jan Fitzgerald. She has an older sister, Robin, and younger brother, Randy