Lisa Fortier is no stranger to success, and once again, she’s right in the thick of the national conversation. The Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach has landed on the midseason watchlist for the 2026 Kathy Delaney Coach of the Year Award - a recognition reserved for the best in the mid-major ranks. Fortier took home the honor in 2024, and now she’s back in the mix, one of just 10 coaches spotlighted from across the country.
What makes her inclusion even more impressive this year is the context. Fortier didn’t just reload - she practically rebuilt.
After losing four of her top scorers from the 2024-25 campaign, she’s been steering a roster that features seven new faces. That kind of turnover can derail a season before it starts, but under Fortier’s steady hand, the Zags haven’t just stayed competitive - they’ve thrived.
Gonzaga currently sits third in the West Coast Conference with a 6-2 league record, and they’re doing it with elite efficiency from deep. The Zags lead the entire nation in three-point field goal percentage, knocking down a scorching 40.6% from beyond the arc.
That’s not just hot shooting - that’s system, discipline, and execution. And it starts at the top.
Fortier’s coaching résumé continues to grow more impressive with each passing season. Her overall record now stands at 303-81 - just 13 wins shy of surpassing Kelly Graves as the winningest coach in Gonzaga program history. Graves, of course, left Spokane for Oregon back in 2014, and Fortier has more than carried the torch since then.
Over the years, she’s helped mold some of the program’s most memorable talent. Jill Barta.
Brynna Maxwell. The Truong twins.
Esther Little. Yvonne Ejim.
That’s a list of difference-makers, and it speaks to Fortier’s ability not just to coach, but to develop. Now, she’s guiding the next wave - redshirt freshman forward Lauren Whittaker and sophomore guard Allie Turner - as they step into bigger roles under her leadership.
The five finalists for this year’s Kathy Delaney Award will be announced in March, and if Fortier’s track record - and this season’s performance - are any indication, she’ll be right there when the short list is revealed. Rebuilding years aren’t supposed to look this smooth. But then again, most programs don’t have Lisa Fortier at the helm.