Is Hannah Bluder related to Lisa Bluder? All we know about links between the two Hawkeyes members

Hannah Bluder is one of the lesser-known members of the backroom staff of the Hawkeyes women’s basketball program, unlike Lisa Bluder, who was the program’s coach and face. Interestingly, the two members of the Hawkeyes staff share a last name, suggesting that they might be related.

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Is Hannah Bluder related to Lisa Bluder?

Hannah Bluder is indeed related to Lisa Bluder. Hannah is Lisa’s daughter with her husband, Dave. The Iowa Hawkeyes basketball coach has two other children, Emma and David.

Hannah, who attended the University of Iowa from 2016 to 2020, joined the Hawkeyes basketball staff in October 2020 following her graduation. She studied Sport and Recreation Management at the University of Iowa and has a Master’s degree in Sport Administration from Northwestern University. She was hired as director of operations for the Hawkeyes women’s basketball program in 2020.

In this role, she “works closely with the Hawkeye basketball staff” to coordinate and execute the day-to-day running of the program. It involves facilitating the team’s itinerary and overseeing “public service opportunities for the team.” She’s also in charge of the team’s summer camps and training.

Hannah’s background as a Hawkeyes athlete prepared her adequately for the role she has been carrying out since 2020. She was on the Hawkeyes rowing team for the 2016-17 season when she appeared in five competitions on the 1N8+ crew.

Lisa, meanwhile, became the coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2000 after a decade at Drake University. Under her watch, the Hawkeyes have become one of the most competitive programs in college basketball.

She has led the team to 19 appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes’ consistency at the national level is underscored by a solid conference record. Bluder has led Iowa to five Big Ten tournament championships and two Big Ten regular-season championships. She won the 2019 Naismith Coach of the Year Award.

Bluder’s two appearances at the national championship games came consecutively in 2023 and 2024, but both ended in painful losses.

After a career spanning well over three decades, Bluder decided to bid farewell to the game of basketball. Lisa Bluder retired as the head coach of Iowa Hawkeyes, a decision many expected following Caitlin Clark's WNBA Draft declaration.