Chatting with Chun: Iowa head coach speaks ahead of new season
As women’s college wrestling continues its rapid expansion, programs everywhere – including the Iowa Hawkeyes – must adapt and adjust with both speed and precision.
For instance, 15 different Hawkeyes – 11 of whom return this season – earned All-American honors at last year’s national championships.
Under the inaugural NCAA Championships format set to be implemented in 2025-26, a maximum of 10 Hawkeyes may qualify for nationals this March.
Elsewhere around the country, new programs continue to enter the fold – a pair of which will visit Iowa City for marquee duals this season.
All the while, Iowa welcomes six true freshmen to the fold, plus a brand-new Director of Operations and Sports Information Director (SID).
Like I said, adaptability will be crucial for the Hawkeyes – in many respects – this season. And that’s especially true when the program’s sole expectation is to add more national titles (of the team and dual variety) to a trophy case that holds several of them already.
With the 2025-26 season opener just two days out, Iowa head coach Clarissa Chun spoke about all those things (and more) with reporters at Media Day on Thursday morning.
The press conference can be seen in its entirety below – or read via transcript HERE.
These are a few of my main takeaways from the fourth-year Hawkeye head coach.
Exciting opportunities await, as do tough decisions
In referring to the transition from the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) to NCAA sponsorship, Chun encapsulates the Yin and Yang of the sport’s evolution for the Hawkeyes:
“There are so many good things with the growth, but hard decisions along the way for our program,” she says. “Now we can only bring 10 to the national championships.”
Realistically, as many as five of the 10 spots in Iowa’s lineup could be up grab this season.
Those lineup battles – which were already highly competitive in previous seasons – will include even more talented athletes going forward. And while that will come with even tougher final decisions for Iowa’s coaching staff, its leader is confident that things will ultimately work out the way they’re supposed to – on the mat.
“There will be plenty of opportunities with our women to be able to compete,” says Chun.
“I think the harder thing is when it does come down to decision time…(but) the great thing about our sport is you go earn it on the mat; you show your work and earn what you get.”
And it’s that same sort of business-like mindset that Chun is glad to see her team already exemplifying daily.
“They’re battling every day in the room, just earning their opportunity to hopefully be the one on the top of the podium come March 6-7.”
Growing the sport while testing her team
It wouldn’t do these Hawkeyes any good if Iowa hid away in its own internal cocoon.
Would they still be incredibly successful given the internal competition in the practice room? Sure.
But to discover their true limits – as both a team and as individuals – it requires taking on all comers. And in the process, the entire sport of women’s wrestling benefits as well.
“It’s all about challenging our team, everyone on our team, our program, throughout the season,” says Chun.
“We don’t want to shy away from competition – we want to lean into it. We want to see what areas we can continue to work on, so we’re better prepared for March 6-7.”
Iowa’s 2025-26 schedule includes three of the nation’s toughest open tournaments (Missouri Valley, North Central, Grand View). In addition, the Hawkeyes will compete in a pair of high-level dual tournament events – featuring four duals apiece.
That doesn’t even include National Duals or the postseason in February/March – where Iowa is expected to claim top honors once again.
I’ve also yet to mention the home schedule, which features the likes of a trophy-contending inaugural Lehigh team, #6 Colorado Mesa and Oklahoma State’s burgeoning club program.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
LSU AD
Decision made on Scott Woodward
- 2New
Tennessee Baseball
Poaches Florida interim HC
- 3Hot
Dan Lanning
Makes coaching plans clear
- 4Trending
Matt Rhule
Signs extension, massive buyout
- 5
Oklahoma-Tennessee
Playoff elimination game
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“It’s a little bit I think about the growth of the sport,” says Chun of the balance between present competition and the long-term good of women’s wrestling.
“You see that Oklahoma State is on the schedule. I might get asked, ‘Why would you schedule a club team?’ To me, it makes sense. It’s Oklahoma State. They’ve got great athletes on their program, student-athletes. Why wouldn’t we challenge ourselves against a team like Oklahoma State?
And guess what, while both the Hawkeyes and women’s wrestling stand to benefit from Iowa’s approach, so too, do fans of great wrestling.
New faces
Integrating new faces is an annual tradition throughout college athletics.
And it’s no different for Iowa this season.
A half-dozen, highly rated freshmen join the team in 2025-26, and have already made a positive impression on their coach.
“I think our freshmen, man, they’re workers,” says Chun.
“It’s one of those things for coaches, which is harder to try to motivate and push someone to do more or to try to like rein them back from doing too much?”
“There’s a good handful of our freshmen that we have to say, ‘Okay, that’s enough’. They’re just so eager. That’s just so ingrained in who they are. They’re soaking up just wanting to get better.”
Even on a roster that returns so much talent, don’t expect the newcomers to be too acquiescent to their elder teammates.
“They’ve jumped right in. There’s going to be battles at certain weight classes that we have from our freshmen,” says Chun.
Meanwhile, the newness extends beyond the mat.
Taking over as the team’s Communications Contact is Brandee Saunders – a Hawkeye alum who’s worked throughout the Iowa athletic department.
And just this week, Iowa also announced the hiring of its new Director of Operations, Lillian Humphries.
Saunders and Humphries replace the departing Leandra Harasta and Hannah Sieperda – both of whom had been with the women’s wrestling program as it built from the ground up.
“I do miss both Hannah and Leandra. They’ve been so great for our program. Super grateful for the work that they’ve done, how they’ve moved our program forward,” says Chun.
As for her new ‘teammates’ on staff:
“In everything we do, we want to do things the right way and make sure it’s the right fit for everyone involved. We hope this is all a win-win situation for everyone.”
