Iowa Hawkeyes Coach Lisa Bluder Set for $300,000 Bonus, More Benefits After Final Four Berth

According to Front Office Sports, Bluder has now earned $300,000 in bonuses this season as a result of bringing the Hawkeyes to the Final Four.

Not only that, but she’s also set to get a $150,000 raise beginning next season by hitting the milestone mark. She is also set to get an automatic two-year extension with Iowa, which means she’ll be locked in with the team long-term even after Clark’s time with the team comes to an end.

Sure enough, however, Bluder deserves every bit of it. While all the focus has been on Clark and her otherworldly performances, Bluder was there to keep the team functioning and making sure that they perform at a high level consistently.

Handling the expectations of having a generational player like Clark is no joke as well, but Bluder has been able to really do it and steer the team in the right direction. Now, they are heading to the Final Four for the second straight year, with a real chance to make it to the title game once again.

Lisa Bluder Masterminds Iowa Hawkeyes’ Dominance vs. LSU Tigers

Caitlin Clark was the reason the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to beat the LSU Tigers, but credit should definitely be given to Lisa Bluder for putting the sharpshooter in the best position to succeed.

The Hawkeyes were outrebounded by the Tigers in their Monday showdown, but they matched up pretty well in other areas. This allowed Clark to just focus on what she’s best at: score and pass the ball. The 22-year-old finished with 41 points on top of 12 assists, while also tallying seven rebounds, two steals and one block en route to the 94-87 victory.

After the game, Bluder opened up about what she told Clark and the rest of the team to make sure they are focused on the game and not themselves.

“We talked about that last night and I told the team this is not a rivalry it’s a competition, it’s a competition against an opponent it’s not a rivalry,” Bluder explained, per FanSided. “I think people were excited to see this play to see this matchup again so I think that was there the excitement around the game, but it certainly wasn’t one that we felt was a rivalry.

Sure enough, that message really rubbed onto the Hawkeyes, as they played an incredible game to take down the same team that broke their hearts in 2023. Now, it’s onto the next one for Clark, Bluder and the Iowa squad.