Iowa HC Sets Record For Most Wins in First Two Seasons

Second year Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Jan Jensen has done the unthinkable. With one regular season game remaining, she's surpassed Angie Lee for the most wins by a head coach in her first two seasons with the program.

Lee's 45-win mark was quite impressive, to say the least. It's a mark that not even Lisa Bluder could surpass, and everyone knows how much success she had with this program.

When it comes to immediate success, Jensen stands at the top. Bluder left her former assistant with a solid foundation, one that Jensen has turned into a legitimate National Championship contender.

It's crazy to think that Jensen needed a March Madness victory last year to reach 23 wins but this year she's done so on February 26. Now, she stands alone at the top with the most wins by a head coach in her first two years.

Jan Jensen's Immediate Success is Incredible

Iowa HC — Iowa head coach Jan Jensen fist-pumps toward the end of a basketball game against the Ohio State Buckeyes Jan. 25, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Back on February 18 Jensen was named to the Naismith Coach of the Year watch list, a prestigious group only featuring the best of the best in women's college basketball. Looking at what she's done with this young team, it'd be a crime if she didn't move forward in the process or at least receive a few votes.

Jensen's immediate rise is a sight to behold as there aren't many coaches in women's basketball who have seen as much success as her this quickly. The scariest part? Jensen still has a ton of opportunities to add a few more wins.

50-wins in her first two seasons is certainly within reach. After going 23-11 in her first season, Jensen's squad currently sits at 23-5. Other than their three-game losing streak, this team has been nearly perfect with their only other losses being to No. 1 UConn and their in-state rival, No. 10 Iowa State.

50 Wins is Within Reach

Iowa HC Jan Jense — Iowa head coach Jan Jensen hugs former Hawkeye women’s basketball player Megan Gustafson after a basketball game against the Washington Huskies Feb. 11, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Currently 46-16, Jensen knows she could easily obtain 50 wins in her first two years as a head coach. First, Iowa heads to Madison for their regular season finale at Wisconsin. From there, all eyes are on the B1G tournament.

Iowa's win over Illinois clinched them a double-bye in the conference tournament. That's not ideal for stacking a few more wins, but is certainly needed for a team coming off a three-game week. They'll take all the rest they can get heading into the tournament.

From there, it's up to Iowa as to how far they go in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 2 seed is within reach which should allow them to pick up at least two more wins, most notably since they would both be played at Carver.

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