$7 million gift endows Iowa women's basketball coaching job

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Former Iowa basketball player Dr. P. Sue Beckwith has given $7 million to endow the Hawkeyes' head coaching position, the athletic department announced Tuesday.

Known as Sue Beckwith when she played for the Hawkeyes from 1976-80, she received her medical degree from Iowa in 1984 and practices in Des Moines.

Lisa Bluder and all future head women’s basketball coaches will hold the title of P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Women’s Basketball Coach.

Beckwith has now given nearly $9 million to Iowa women’s athletics, with a portion going to a fund that provides annual support to all of Iowa’s women’s sports.

“My experiences are one of the reasons I feel so strongly about athletics, the lessons it teaches us," Beckwith said. “Iowa was such a formative time for me — learning teamwork and time management, overcoming adversity, and gaining self-confidence and self-control.”

Bluder called Beckwith a “passionate and ardent supporter” of all women's sports and has made a difference through her involvement and financial contributions.

“For me,” Bluder said, "this is truly a great day to be a Hawkeye.”

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