IN PICS: Iowa HC Jan Jensen enjoys "fun night" with wife Julie and kids at Tampa Bay's basketball game

Fresh off a 23-win debut season, Iowa Hawkeyes coach Jan Jensen offered a glimpse into her offseason on Friday. In a series of Instagram stories, the Hawkeye coach posted scenes from a family night out in Tampa Bay.

Jensen, her wife Julie Fitzpatrick and their two kids, Jack and Janie, attended the game of the Tampa Bay Rays, snapped a selfie from the stands and sprinkled in some beach views.

“We’ve caught some waves & rays and...” she wrote over a shot of the coast, before finishing the sentence in the next frame: “The Tampa Bay Devil Rays! Fun night at the ol' ballgame!”

Taking over the Hawkeyes in the post-Caitlin Clark era, Jensen led Iowa to a 23-11 finish and a 10-8 mark in Big Ten play. Now, with year one in the books, she’s focused on keeping the program competitive amid an increasingly wild transfer portal landscape.

Jan Jensen wins Coach of the Year honor

Jan Jensen was named the 2025 Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year by the WBCA, an honor given annually to a first-year Division I head coach who delivers a standout season.

WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew called first-year Iowa coach Jan Jensen’s impact “remarkable,” praising her both as a teacher on the floor and a mentor off it.

“The WBCA is proud to announce Jan Jensen as the winner,” Donehew said, according to Hawkeyes Wire.

Brian Collins, VP at Spalding, echoed that praise.

“Jan has embodied [that] in her first season,” Collins said, also applauding her “commitment to excellence” at Iowa.

After a midseason five-game skid, the Hawkeyes surged late in the regular season and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, finishing as one of the nation’s hottest teams. With a top freshman class on the way, led by five-star guard Addie Deal, expectations are already growing.

Off the court, Jensen continues to be active in the transfer portal, which she called essential to building a winner today. She pointed to the immediate impact of Lucy Olsen last season and is expecting a similar spark from recent Georgia Tech transfer Chazadi “Chit-Chat” Wright, who averaged 7.2 points and 2.6 assists in 2024-25.

“We got the piece we absolutely had to have,” Jensen said.

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Iowa is still evaluating a couple of additional transfer options.

Also Read: “Let’s go. So pumped”: Iowa HC Jan Jensen hyped for latest Hawkeyes signee Emely Rodriguez

About the author

Mohammad Asif Ansari is a journalist covering college football and basketball at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Technology and brings four years of experience as an NFL and EdTech writer.

While acknowledging the dominance of professional leagues like the NBA and NFL, Asif is drawn to the raw energy and unpredictability of college sports, particularly football and basketball.

Jalen Hurts stands out as Asif's all-time favorite college player, celebrated for his remarkable success on the football field and impressive leadership skills.

In his reporting, Asif seeks to capture the essence of college athletics, delving into the human stories behind the game. From the trials and triumphs of student-athletes to the strategic genius of coaches like Nick Saban, he strives to paint a vivid picture of the college sports landscape.

Asif ensures that his reporting is both informative and ethically sound, meticulously verifying sources and facts to provide readers with reliable and trustworthy content.

When not writing, Asif practices basic MMA, hones his biking skills and expands his language proficiency in Urdu and Arabic.

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Edited by Krutik Jain