Purdue Women's Basketball Coach Katie Gearlds Salutes Iowa's Lisa Bluder Following Retirement Announcement
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Surprising news filtered out of Iowa City on Monday, as Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder announced her retirement after 24 seasons leading the Hawkeyes. After learning of the news, Purdue coach Katie Gearlds saluted the longtime Big Ten figure.
"Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as we did," Gearlds wrote on X. "Thanks Coach."
Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as we did… Thanks Coach 🫡 https://t.co/VWTOcPx05p
— Katie Gearlds (@katiegearlds4) May 13, 2024
Bluder began coaching at Iowa in 2000 after a 10-year run at Drake. During her time in Iowa City, she led the Hawkeyes to five Big Ten Tournament titles, two Big Ten regular season championships and a pair of Final Four appearances — each coming in the last two seasons.
Bluder is also a three-time Big Ten Coach of the year (2001, 2008 and 2010) and Naismith Coach of the Year (2019). She posted a record of 528-254 at Iowa, the Big Ten's all-time winningest women's basketball coach.
"It has been the honor of my career to be a part of the Iowa Hawkeye family," Bluder wrote in a statement. "And to lead a women's basketball program filled with so many talented and remarkable young women, who have gone on to do great things in their careers and, more importantly, in their lives."
Gearlds both played and coached against Bluder during her career at Purdue. Gearlds played for the Boilermakers from 2003-07, averaging 14.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Before the 2021-22 season, Gearlds took over as the coach at Purdue after an eight-year run at Marian University (NAIA). In her first three years as the leader of the Boilers, Gearlds owns a record of 51-45.
Overall, Bluder compiled 884 wins during her coaching career.
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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