ATLANTA – Gonzaga women's basketball Head Coach
Lisa Fortier was named one of 15 late season candidates for the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Wednesday.
Fortier has guided the Bulldogs to a 23-3 record thus far, which marks her eighth season with at least 20 wins. The Zags has two ranked wins so far this year, including then-ranked No. 6 Louisville for the highest ranked win in women's basketball history. GU also defeated then-ranked No. 23 Tennessee to place third at Battle 4 Atlantis in November.
Gonzaga is currently No. 20 in the Associated Press and No. 19 in the Coaches' polls. The Bulldogs sit in first place in the West Coast Conference standings with a 12-1 league record with four more games to be played.
The Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists on Wednesday, March 8. The Fan Vote to help narrow the list down to the final honoree will open Tuesday, March 21, and close Tuesday, March 28. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, March 29, at the Women's Final Four in Dallas.
2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's Coach of the Year Late Season Watchlist
| Geno Auriemma |
BIG EAST |
UConn |
| Lisa Bluder |
Big Ten |
Iowa |
| Kenny Brooks |
ACC |
Virginia Tech |
| Denise Dillon |
BIG EAST |
Villanova |
| Lisa Fortier |
WCC |
Gonzaga |
| Shauna Green |
Big Ten |
Illinois |
| Niele Ivey |
ACC |
Notre Dame |
| Kara Lawson |
ACC |
Duke |
| Kevin McGuff |
Big Ten |
Ohio State |
| Teri Moren |
Big Ten |
Indiana |
| Kim Mulkey |
SEC |
LSU |
| JR Payne |
Pac-12 |
Colorado |
| Lynne Roberts |
Pac-12 |
Utah |
| Dawn Staley |
SEC |
South Carolina |
| Tara VanDerveer |
Pac-12 |
Stanford |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike's and Werner Ladder.
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