Iowa’s 2024 recruit Callie Levin gives her opinion on coach Jan Jensen’s tenure post Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes exit

Iowa Hawkeyes are transitioning into a new-face program under Jan Jensen's leadership. As Caitlin Clark leaped for the big league, Lisa Bluder retired from her coaching role this off-season, leaving multiple voids. With that, Callie Levin, a 2024 freshman, gives insight into Jan Jensen's coaching while talking to Jada Gyamfi on the Fresh Tawk podcast.

The first-year player realizes the gravity of the opportunity for Jan Jensen and portrays gratitude for being part of the coach's journey.

"Obviously, Lisa, coach Bluder just stepping down, it's sad but Coach J stepping in, that's such a big thing in her life and I just want to, I'm just so blessed that I get to be a part of this with her," Levin said about playing under Jan Jensen.

Moreover, being one of the handful of players who learned under Lisa Bluder and Jensen, Jada Gyamfi added the similarity in the two coaches' approach.

"And they're the exact same like, obviously they're not the exact same but like the morals are the same, everything feels the same. It's just like Coach Bluder is not there, but it's like the same culture, everything," Gyamfi said.

Jensen becomes the head coach of Iowa Hawkeyes after 24 years of operating as an assistant coach for the program. When Lisa Bluder stepped out of her role, the school wanted to maintain the same basketball culture it had experienced under Bluder.

This made Jensen a natural successor of Bluder as she had been working as Lisa Bluder's assistant coach for over 30 years.

Jan Jensen will have huge shoes to fill

The biggest challenge for Jan Jensen is that the Hawkeyes have been to two consecutive finals. The back-to-back seasons are the best tenures in the program’s history and must be topped to mount a successful transition.

Nevertheless, Jensen realizes the spotlight on Iowa and plans to utilize young hoopers’ interest to strengthen the roster in the coming years. Moreover, she will have immediate production to fill in Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall’s absences.

Nevertheless, the situation is harmonious enough for the first-time coach. She gets a handful of players from the previous rendition and a chance to deploy her schemes through recruits. She also retains most of the coaching staff that helped the program reach new heights and most importantly, she has already garnered everyone’s trust.