Fansided

5 coaches in line to win their first NCAA Women’s Tournament

By Justin Carter

Mar 6, 2022; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Lady Bears head coach Nicki Collen looks on against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2022; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Lady Bears head coach Nicki Collen looks on against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports /
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Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder reacts during a NCAA non-conference women’s basketball game against University of Central Florida, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.211218 Ucf Iowa Wbb 009 Jpg
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder reacts during a NCAA non-conference women’s basketball game against University of Central Florida, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.211218 Ucf Iowa Wbb 009 Jpg /

3. Lisa Bluder, Iowa

Lisa Bluder took over the Iowa program in 2000 after spending 10 seasons a few hours west in Des Moines coaching Drake. her first head coaching job was at NAIA program St. Ambrose in Davenport, IA.

Bluder must love the Hawkeye State.

Over her long career at Iowa, Bluder has never taken her team past the Elite Eight, but she’s also never had a player like Caitlin Clark. Sure, Bluder found success with Megan Gustafson on the team a few years back, but while Gustafson was a skilled scorer in the paint, she wasn’t the multi-dimensional threat that Clark is.

The other coaches on this list feel like they have a longer window in which to win a title because they aren’t so dependent on a generational talent. But while Iowa is a good state for women’s basketball, the talent pool that Bluder has to draw from isn’t as wide as it is at other programs, so these next three years are her best chance to put her name in the record books. Iowa was a program that would consistently lose in the first or second round before Gustafson. Now, can Clark help lead Bluder and the Hawkeyes deeper than they’ve ever gone before in the NCAA Tournament? It won’t be easy in a region that features South Carolina.