IOWA CITY — Jan Jensen, eventual St. Olaf College president.
That’s how, back in 1991, the Drake University senior had her life planned.
“I had my path marked out, and I liked the thought of it,” Jensen said in an hour-long one-on-one interview with The Gazette on Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“I was going to be a graduate assistant (for the Drake women’s basketball team) for two years, then eventually move on and (climb the administrative ladder) at a liberal arts college.
“But (Coach) Lisa (Bluder) had one of her assistants step down, and she asked if I wanted to be on her staff full-time. Two years became five years, and ... ”
Jensen did earn that master’s degree, in higher education, in five years. But basketball had her heart. She remained on Bluder’s staff for nearly a decade at Drake, then 24 years at Iowa.
When the shocking announcement of Bluder’s retirement went public May 13, a second announcement came a half-hour later: Jensen was the successor.
Two days later, at Jensen’s introductory news conference, Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz said, “How amazing is it when the easy choice is the right choice?”
The following is a partial transcript of Tuesday’s interview:
Q: A week passed between Bluder’s conversation with you of her intention to retire until the university released the statement. How did it all transpire, and how did it all remain a secret?
“Lisa came back from vacation (June 5) and came over with a cup of coffee. I was battling a bout with vertigo. I just thought it was a visit to catch up. Jenni Fitzgerald came, too.
“Lisa will tell you, ‘You know when you know.’ I was just enjoying the ride; so was Jenni. But I knew there was going to be an end game (at some point).
“There was never a master plan. But Lisa made a decision, and everything swung into action.”
Q: So, everybody on staff — the existing roster and recruits — are staying. Were there any hard sells?
“No, and that made me feel so grateful. It was a beautiful thing.
“We had a zoom meeting with the team. You can imagine the reactions. There were some tears, some (silence). It was based on so much love.
“The (transfer) portal is what it is. I made sure I reached out individually to everybody. All of the conversations were great. Our (incoming freshmen) were next. Lisa was on one phone in the hallway, I was on the other. Then we switched phones, so we both got to talk to everybody.
“It was one of the most intense, emotional days of my life.”
Q: What will Bluder’s role be as an advisor to you?
“We haven’t ironed that out yet. There’s a changing landscape in college sports, and her ties, her contacts and her perspective will (be valuable).
“I’ve got a confidant that’s right down the road. It’s not like she’s moving to Florida. She has some really cool plans for her next chapter.”
Q: And what about the makeup of the rest of your staff (Raina Harmon, Abby Stamp and Tania Davis)?
“The new rule is that six coaches can recruit, but only four at a time. So I plan to add a couple more. We’ll have an announcement on that in the next 10 days to two weeks.”
Q: And how will recruiting be divvied up?
“Having Abby and Raina back, those are two of the biggest blessings of when I took the job. We won’t skip a beat. There are going to be a lot of uncertainties, but I’m excited about the challenge. Abby and Raina and me … we’ll be the main three recruiters.”
Q: You’ve had other head coaching opportunities. Which was the most difficult to turn down?
“I love Drake. I can’t say I was ever offered the job, but I was in strong running for it. There are a few jobs — there were three at one time or another — that I think if I’d pursued them harder, I may have gotten an offer.
“There were some Power Five programs that were in my wheelhouse and intriguing.”
Q: What changes might we see next year, and what changes might be made that aren’t as easily recognizable?
“I’m in the process of evaluating what I like and what I don’t like. I’m a six-on-six forward, so I have a tendency to favor offense. I like to try to score and score fast.
“At times (in the past), we had debates on how much full-court pressure we would like to use, but we usually didn’t because of our depth. I didn’t win that battle.
“We’re not going to be like a (C. Vivian) Stringer team or those Ohio State teams that press all the time.
“We’re going to be different next year. This orbit we’ve had lately (with Caitlin Clark), it’s rare. Our 3-pointers next year will be from just behind the line instead of the parking lot.”
Q: You said at your news conference that you “are not shying away from great.” How do you define greatness?
“When you’re young, success is measured by how you do in the postseason. As you get older, it’s more about the journey and how it sets you up for the end.
“We have so many questions on how we’re going to look. We have six new people that we’re trying to mesh in with two starters returning.
“One side is the immeasurable, how enjoyable is practice. The majority of the world sees us and recognizes that we have great kids who are willing to give up something for the good of the group.’
“The other, the winning … I want to continue that. We want to stay in contention, a team that’s in a position to cut down nets.”
Q: Have terms of your contract been nailed down?
“We’re in the process of that.”
Q: What excited you most about next season?
“The people on staff. The newness and the growth of everybody. I’m excited to put it all into action. I’ve got a GOAT in my corner in Lisa Bluder. We had such a great ride. I’m excited to pass on what she passed on to me.
“I’m still energetic. I’m ready to go. If we want to keep it going, we’ve got to figure out how to solve this puzzle.”
Q: And what is your biggest concern?
“Outside expectations. I want this team and this staff to become everything it can be.”
Q: What should we expect from the six newcomers?
“They’re going to be really fun. They have fun personalities. They are crafty players. They’re all hard-working. I love them as people. Self-starters are fun to coach.”
Q: What veterans are primed for a breakthrough?
“We’re going to count on Sydney (Affolter) and Hannah (Stuelke) a lot. I love their confidence and their mindset. Syd is leading so well. Hannah is taking another step in her persona.”
“I would like to get Taylor (McCabe) some more minutes. We could see some good things from Kylie (Feuerbach).”
Q: “What happened in the last 24 years to turn this program from a good one to a great one, and what are your plans to keep it great?
“When we got Sam Logic (in 2011), she was one of the top recruits in the nation. I remember, I was getting in the spices aisle at Hy-Vee, and when I heard we got her, I showed a pretty good vertical (jump).
“So Sam helped get us to the Sweet 16 (in 2015), and that helped us get Megan (Gustafson). I’ve never had an easier kid to coach.
“Megan got us to the Elite Eight, and that helped us show Caitlin (Clark) that she could stay (in-state) and do all of these things.
“So now, ‘Iowa’ is a statement nationally, not a question. We’ve got to keep recruiting good players. We’ve got to keep attracting the nation’s best. You can’t win a horse race if you don’t have the horses.”
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
