Bluder Presser

Iowa women’s basketball coach gave our class an exclusive press conference a few weeks back.

IOWA CITY, IA- Only a few weeks removed from a first round victory in the NCAA tournament, it would have been understandable for Iowa women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder to deny an opportunity to talk to a sports journalism class on Monday, April 12, but like the person she is, she saw it as a teaching moment and ran with it.

“I appreciate reporters who work hard to find the good story,” Bluder said. “It drives you a little crazy when the reporter is always looking for the negative.”

Bluder mentioned how she likes when reporters are consistent with their questions and introduce themselves after the press conference. Being knowledgeable and coming up with good questions is very important to a coach. The reporter needs to be prepared and show up to the events.

“Some people just drive you nuts with the same questions all the time,” Bluder said. “Some reporters tend not to show up and ask the same questions that have been asked the last six weeks.”

For 26 years Bluder has been in the coaching business and she has spent quite a bit of time around different types of media and has learned to be careful with the unknown reporters. Bluder likes to have the ability to get to know a reporter which provides comfort.

She did mention the difference of coaching in a community like Iowa City compared to a big market like Chicago, and how sometimes it can have its disadvantages. “We all would rather not have the attention even though there are some good things to it,” Bluder said. “But it’s hard to get from place to place, even go to the grocery store.”

In Bluder’s brief press conference with the journalism students she indeed used it to teach. She touched on subjects on how to be a good reporter and even what she expects for next year’s team. Even with her busy schedule she was able to help out the next generation of reporters.