The Kathy Delaney Coach of the Year Award is given to the best coach in the mid-major conference ranks. Gonzaga Bulldogs coach Lisa Fortier won the award in 2024 and was named to this season’s midseason watchlist with 10 different names from across college basketball. She was on the preseason watchlist last season as well.
The five finalists for the 2026 Kathy Delaney Coach of the Year Award will be announced in March.
After losing four of her top scorers from 2024-25, Fortier has had a brand new roster to deal with, including seven newcomers. The Zags are currently in third place in the West Coast Conference standings with a 6-2 league record and lead the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 40.6 percent.
Standing tall with a 303-81 overall coaching record, Fortier is also just 13 wins away from breaking Kelly Graves’ program record for the most wins at Gonzaga. Graves has been the Oregon Ducks coach since departing Spokane back in 2014.
During that span, Foriter has influenced greats like Jill Barta, Brynna Maxwell, the Truong twins, Esther Litte, and Yvonne Ejim, to name a handful. Now, the future is with redshirt freshman Lauren Whittaker and sophomore guard Allie Turner under their faithful leader.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
