Iowa History Daily: On December 6, 1968, Elkhorn-Kimballton 6-on-6 and Drake University basketball star Jan Jensen was born. In 1990-1991, Jensen led all of NCAA Division I in scoring while starring for the Drake Bulldogs, and continues to shape basketball in Iowa in her role as associate head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
From an early age, basketball was in Jensen’s blood. Her grandmother, Dorcas “Lottie” Andersen, helped her high school team to the state championship in 1921. The local newspaper dubbed Andersen “Lottie” because she frequently scored ‘a lot’ of points. Like her grandmother, Jensen also poured in the points: during her senior season in 1987 she led the country with 66 points per game.
After committing to Drake, Jensen continued to pour in the points for the Bulldogs. When Lisa Bluder took over the head coaching spot at Drake for Jensen’s senior season, the pair proved a match made in hoops heaven. Jensen averaged 29.6 points per game to lead the country in scoring. Following college, Jensen headed to Germany where she helped lead BTV-Wuppertal to the German Club Championship.
Following her playing days, Jensen returned to Iowa where she continues to help influence basketball in the state. Returning to Drake as an assistant coach on Bluder’s staff, Jensen helped guide the Bulldogs to five 20 win seasons and eight Missouri Valley Conference Tournaments. Although Drake offered Jensen the head job when Bluder left for the University of Iowa in 2000, Jensen stuck with her former coach. Currently, Jensen serves as the Associate Head Coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
