Lisa Marie Bluder is the head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball program. She is the all-time winningest coach in program history, taking the Hawkeyes to 20 postseason appearances (16 NCAA and four WNIT) in 22 seasons, including NCAA Tournament berths in 12 of the last 14 seasons.
Bluder’s 23rd year as head coach has been particularly historic as she led her team to basketball’s dream destination: the Final Four. While the Hawkeyes saw victory on April 1, 2023, over South Carolina’s Gamecocks with an astonishing 41-point contribution by guard Caitlin Clark, they unfortunately fell to LSU’s Tigers the following Sunday during the championship title game.
Despite the blow they took with the loss, Bluder remained focused on her gratitude of the team.
“I’m so proud of my team. I’m proud of the women they are. I’m proud of what they stand for. The Iowa fans that came here in droves, I’m so thankful for them. I’m thankful that I get to coach at a university like the University of Iowa,” she said in a post-game press conference.
Bluder graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1983. While there, she was a three-year starter for the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team, playing an incredible 108 games, averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Immediately after graduating, she accepted the head coaching and Assistant Athletic Director position at St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa. She guided the Bees to four straight national tournaments, including two consecutive Final Four appearances.
Bluder’s success at St. Ambrose led to the head coaching position at Drake University. In her 11 years there, she led the Bulldogs to three Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles and four Valley tournament crowns. She was named Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 1995, 1997, and 1998. The 1997 season saw her receive national recognition, earning Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Bluder was introduced as the Hawkeyes' fifth head coach on April 7, 2000. In her first season alone, she collected her 200th victory at the Division I level when the Hawkeyes defeated Minnesota. On April 6, 2019, Bluder was named the Naismith College Coach of the Year.