Iowa HC Named to Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List

Shortly after Ava Heiden was named to a Naismith Watch List, second year Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Jan Jensen was as well.

Jensen found her name attached to the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year list on February 18.

Lengthy title aside, Hawkeyes fans know Jensen is in consideration to be named the top coach in women's college basketball.

In her second year with the program, Jensen has guided this team to another 20 win season. Currently 20-5 (11-3) with four games remaining, it's going to be hard for this team to finish worse than the 23-11 (10-8) they did a season ago. Clearly, Jensen is building something special in Iowa.

Jan Jensen Continues Historic Start

That's our head coach 🤩 @goiowa has been named to the Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List! pic.twitter.com/N22Fv4TT3q
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) February 18, 2026

On Presidents Day, Jensen became the first head coach in Iowa WBB history to win 20+ games in her first two seasons. She continues to reach new heights and the goal this year is to make a deep tournament run similar to what she did under Lisa Bluder in 2023 and 2024.

The National Championship is always the goal, but winning the B1G would be a huge accomplishment this season. Iowa suffered a tough three-game skid from January 29-February 5 but they turned around and won a pair of games, including a ranked victory over No. 25 Washington.

The Hawkeyes head to Purdue on the 19th before welcoming No. 6 Michigan on the 22nd for a marquee showdown. Three games in one week is no easy task, but it's the perfect way to prepare them for what's to come in the tournament.

Iowa Cannot Be Denied

Playing with passion. pic.twitter.com/TJwacbGHhn
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) February 17, 2026

Every time this team has dealt with a setback they've come back stronger than ever. Obviously, Jensen is a huge part of that mentality. No matter who stands in their way, Iowa always comes prepared to play even if the result doesn't reflect that.

This Hawkeyes team would love a rematch with No. 1 UConn or No. 2 UCLA to prove how much they've grown in a short span. Needing three more wins to surpass Angie Lee's 45-win mark, the most all time by an Iowa HC in their first two seasons, Jensen knows she has the regular season, B1G tournament, and NCAA Tournament to take care of business.

Iowa is tied for sixth in the nation with six Quad 1 victories this season. Jensen has guided this team to six AP Top 25 wins. It's worth noting that of their five losses, three of those have been to Top 10 teams.

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