The Lilac City can proudly boast two legendary college basketball coaches.
On the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ (11-5, 3-0 WCC) way to handling the Seattle U Redhawks on the road, 85-59, coach Lisa Fortier reached a historic personal milestone. She reached her 300th career victory with the Zags, the fastest coach to do so in program history.
Starting out as a coordinator of basketball operations from 2004-06 and assistant coach from 2007-2014, Fortier has now been at the helm for the last 12 seasons and hasn’t looked back. She’s been to the NCAA Tournament eight times, including two trips to the Sweet Sixteen in 2015 and 2024.
Fortier has the third-best career winning percentage amongst active Division I college basketball coaches with at least 300 wins on their resume at .792 percent. Only LSU Tigers’ Kim Mulkey (.860 percent) and UConn Huskies’ Geno Auriemma (.885 percent) have better.
Given what the seven-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year had to endure last season when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2024, no one is more deserving of this achievement than Fortier. What she has been able to build in Spokane is remarkable.
Fortier’s always been a fighter, on and off the court. She’s now cancer-free and an inspiration for many across the Pacific Northwest.
Next for the Zags is a trip to the Bay Area against the Santa Clara Broncos (12-4, 2-1 WCC) on Sunday, Jan. 4, at noon on ESPN+.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
Category: General Sports
