Jan and Jennie: The admiration runs deep between Iowa, Oklahoma coaches

NORMAN, Okla. — Jennie Baranczyk knew, and understood, where the line of questioning was headed.

“You guys can keep the focus wherever you want,” she said.

The storyline was unavoidable:

Baranczyk and Jan Jensen. Former Iowa player and current Iowa coach.

Winner goes to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

“I’ve had a lot of great mentors,” said Baranczyk, head coach at Oklahoma. “Jan is one of them. (Former Iowa coach) Lisa (Bluder) is one of them.”

Bluder and Jensen were coaching at Drake in the late 1990s, when Baranczyk (then Jennie Lillis) was starring at nearby Dowling Catholic High School.

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“I recruited Jennie at Drake,” Jensen said. “She chose Iowa. She just wanted to go to Iowa.”

So she committed to Angie Lee and the Hawkeyes.

Lee’s contract wasn’t renewed in 2000. Bluder was hired as her successor, and Jensen followed her boss to Iowa City.

That first year, when Baranczyk was a freshman, Iowa won the Big Ten tournament.

“She was feisty and hard-nosed,” Jensen said. “A competitor to the N’th degree. She wouldn’t back down from anybody.”

Baranczyk ranks ninth all-time at Iowa in scoring with 1,762 career points, and is 10th in rebounds (827) and 12th in steals (190).

That never-back-down persona has carried over into Baranczyk’s coaching career.

“Absolutely,” Jensen said.

After assistant-coaching jobs at Kansas State, Marquette and Colorado, Baranczyk landed the head job at Drake in 2012.

There, she coached against the Bluder/Jensen tandem nine times, winning once.

“At the beginning, it was personal,” Baranczyk said. “Then, you learn it’s not about you.”

This is Baranczyk’s fourth year at OU, where she is 100-33. Her first three Sooners teams reached the second round, but advanced no further.

Meanwhile, Jensen took the top job at Iowa after Bluder retired in May.

“I’m glad Lisa ended her career how she ended it,” Baranczyk said. “I love that it got passed down to Jan.

“Jan is Jan. She’s not afraid of anything. She’s one of the most thoughtful, caring people. She’s going to do an incredible job.”

Baranczyk got emotional when recalling her former Iowa teammate, Jamie Cavey Lang, who died from cancer in December.

“This game will be sentimental,” she said. “Jamie ... that’s something we’re going to celebrate. She meant a lot to me personally, and she meant a lot to (the Iowa program).”

The Oklahoma coaches had pins designed with Cavey Lang’s uniform number 52 for Monday’s game.

Jensen and her staff will wear them, as well.

Tipoff is 3 p.m. Monday at Lloyd Noble Center.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com