10/29/2026 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga women's basketball head coach Lisa Fortier has been named to the 2027 Kathy Delaney-Smith Coach of the Year Preseason Watch List, as announced by Her Hoop Stats on Thursday.
Fortier is one of 20 coaches nationally selected to the preseason watch list for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Coach of the Year Award, an honor she previously earned following the 2023-24 season.
The award, now in its fourth season, is named after legendary Harvard head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith, who compiled 630 career victories during her 40-year tenure. Delaney-Smith led Harvard to six NCAA Tournament appearances and nine WNIT appearances while becoming one of the winningest coaches in Division I women's basketball history.
Fortier enters the 2026-27 season leading Gonzaga into its inaugural season in the Pac-12 Conference. Under Fortier's leadership, the Bulldogs have established themselves as one of the nation's consistently successful women's basketball programs, highlighted by conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances.
During the 2023-24 campaign, Fortier guided Gonzaga to a program-record 32 victories, an undefeated 16-0 record in West Coast Conference play and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Bulldogs earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and hosted the opening two rounds at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
The preseason watch list features 20 coaches representing 12 conferences, including three from the Pac-12.
The list will be narrowed to 10 coaches in January before five finalists are announced in March. The winner will be named around the Final Four.
Candidates will be evaluated throughout the entire season, including postseason play, with consideration given to on-court success, recruiting, preseason expectations, injuries and tactical coaching.
For more information on the Kathy Delaney-Smith Coach of the Year Award, visit HerHoopStats.com.
