View source for Nell Fortner

{{Short description|American basketball player and coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Nell Fortner
| image = Nell Fortner.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = 
| current_title = 
| current_team = 
| current_conference = 
| current_record = 
| contract = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|3|3}}
| birth_place = [[Jackson, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1978–1982
| player_team1 = [[Texas Longhorns women's basketball|Texas]]
| coach_years1 = 1983–1986
| coach_team1 = [[Killeen High School|Killeen HS]]
| coach_years2 = 1986–1987
| coach_team2 = [[Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks basketball|Stephen F. Austin]] (G.A.)
| coach_years3 = 1987–1990
| coach_team3 = Stephen F. Austin (asst.)
| coach_years4 = 1990–1995
| coach_team4 = [[Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball|Louisiana Tech]] (asst.)
| coach_years5 = 1995–1996
| coach_team5 = [[United States women's national basketball team|USA Basketball]] (asst.)
| coach_years6 = 1996–1997
| coach_team6 = [[Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball|Purdue]]
| coach_years7 = 1997–2000
| coach_team7 = USA Basketball
| coach_years8 = 2001–2003
| coach_team8 = [[Indiana Fever]]
| coach_years9 = 2004–2012
| coach_team9 = [[Auburn Tigers women's basketball|Auburn]]
| coach_years10 = 2019–2025
| coach_team10 = [[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball|Georgia Tech]]
| admin_years1 = 1999–2003
| admin_team1 = Indiana Fever (GM)
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|272|192|record=y}} (College)<br />{{Winning percentage|42|56|record=y}} (WNBA)
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = Big Ten champion (1997)<br />SEC champion (2009)
| awards = ''Basketball Times'' National Coach of the Year (1997)<br />[[Big Ten Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year|Big Ten Coach of the Year]] (1997)<br />USA Basketball Coach of the Year (2000)<br>University of Texas Women’s Athletics Wall of Honor (2001)<br />SEC Coach of the Year (2009)<br>WBCA Region III Coach of the Year (2009)<br>San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame (2013)
| coaching_records = 
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Head Coach for {{USA}} }}    {{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}    {{MedalGold|[[United States women's national basketball team|2000 Sydney]] | Team Competition}}
{{MedalSport|Head Coach for {{USA}} }}    {{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}    {{MedalBronze|[[USA Women's Pan American Team|1999 Winnipeg]] | Team Competition}}
{{MedalSport|Head Coach for {{USA}} }}    {{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA World Championship for Women]]}}    {{MedalGold|[[United States women's national basketball team|1998 Berlin]] | Team Competition}}
{{MedalSport|Head Coach for {{USA}} }}    {{MedalCompetition|[[William Jones Cup]]}}    {{MedalGold|[[USA Women's R. William Jones Cup Team|1998 Taipei]] | Team Competition}}
}}

'''Nell Fortner''' (born March 3, 1959)<ref name="NCAA Coaches"/> is an American college basketball coach. She is most well known for leading the [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000]] Olympics team to a gold medal. She has received numerous awards including the 1997 National Coach of the Year, the 2000 USA Basketball Coach of the Year and the 2008 SEC Coach of the Year. In April 2018, she was inducted into the [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref name=":1" />

Fortner served as a TV analyst for [[ESPN]] from 2001-2004 before returning as the head women's basketball coach at [[Auburn University]]. In 2013, she returned to ESPN as a TV analyst.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2019-04-09 |title=Fortner leaves analyst job to coach Ga. Tech |url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26478721/fortner-leaves-analyst-job-coach-ga-tech |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> From 2019 to 2025, she was the women's basketball coach at [[Georgia Tech]].

==Playing career==
Born in [[Jackson, Mississippi]], Fortner is a graduate of [[New Braunfels High School]] where she was an all-state basketball selection and a Parade All-American. She won a dual scholarship in basketball and volleyball to the [[University of Texas]], where she played from 1978-81. As a starter under coach [[Jody Conradt]], the basketball team compiled a 127-26 record in her 4 seasons. She led Texas to its first national ranking in women’s basketball and a seventh-place finish at the [[Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women|AIAW]] national tournament. Her 1,466 career points are among the top scoring leaders in school history, and her 142 games played rank her fourth in Texas history. In addition to playing basketball for the Longhorns, she also played for the Texas volleyball team, where, as a middle hitter, she helped lead the Texas volleyball team to the 1981 AIAW National Championship.

While a freshman at UT, Fortner made her [[USA Basketball]] debut as a member of the 1978 U.S. Olympic Festival South team, winning a silver medal.

Fortner was appointed to the University of Texas Women’s Athletics Wall of Honor in November 2001.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2019-04-09 |title=Nell Fortner |url=https://ramblinwreck.com/coach/nell-fortner/ |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets |language=en-US |quote=she is a member of the University of Texas Women’s Athletics Wall of Honor and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Fortner has over two decades of experience coaching at the high school, college, pro and international levels. She began her coaching career in the 1983-84 season as the girls basketball coach at [[Killeen High School]] in Texas.

===Stephen F. Austin===
She turned to the college ranks as a graduate assistant under [[Gary Blair]] at [[Stephen F. Austin University|Stephen F. Austin]] during the 1986-87 campaign while completing a master's degree in education. She stayed at SFA for three more seasons as an assistant coach, helping guide the Ladyjacks to a remarkable 87-12 (.879) record and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2007, Fortner was honored by Stephen F. Austin with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Nell Fortner To Receive Distinguished Alumnus Award By Stephen F. Austin This Weekend |url=https://auburntigers.com/news/2007/10/25/Nell_Fortner_To_Receive_Distinguished_Alumnus_Award_By_Stephen_F_Austin_This_Weekend.aspx |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=Auburn University Athletics |language=en |quote=Nell Fortner will be honored as the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Alumnus Award by Stephen F. Austin State University Alumni Association}}</ref>

===Louisiana Tech===
Prior to the 1990-91 NCAA season, Fortner was hired by Hall of Fame coach [[Leon Barmore]] at [[Louisiana Tech University|Louisiana Tech]], where she spent five years as an assistant coach from 1990-1995. During her tenure at the school, the Lady Techsters compiled a 123-37 (.794) record and made five straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the [[1994 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|national championship game in 1994]].

===Purdue===
When [[Lin Dunn]] was fired from [[Purdue University]], Fortner was hired to replace her as head coach. In her first year, Fortner led a Purdue team that returned just four players to a Big Ten regular-season conference title in 1996-97, going 17-11 overall and 12-4 in conference play. The season ended in an overtime loss in the second round of the [[1997 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA tournament]] to #2 ranked [[Old Dominion University|Old Dominion]], the eventual runner-up.<ref>{{cite web | year=1997 | url=http://www.purduesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/archive/pur-w-baskbl-96final.html | title=1996-97 Facts & Figures, Stats & Stories | publisher=PurdueSports.com | access-date=2009-03-07}}</ref> Fortner's efforts earned her [[Big Ten Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year|Big Ten Coach of the Year]] honors. She was also named the National Coach of the Year by the ''Basketball Times''. Fortner left the [[Purdue Boilermakers|Boilermakers]] after one season upon being appointed coach of the U.S. women's national team.

===National team===
Beginning in summer 1995, Fortner took a position with [[USA Basketball]], serving as an assistant coach for one year under [[Tara VanDerveer]]. The 1995-96 USA Basketball Women's National Team posted an amazing 52-0 run that culminated with a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. On April 1, 1997, Fortner was named to succeed VanDerveer as the U.S. head coach.<ref name=au /> She led the USA National Team to gold medals at the [[1998 FIBA World Championship for Women|1998 FIBA World Championship]] and [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympic Games]].<ref name="World 1998"/> Fortner was named the 2000 USA Basketball Coach of the Year. She spent the three years leading up to the Sydney Games traveling the globe, coaching 10 different USA Basketball squads to an impressive 93-14 (.869) overall record as a USA Basketball head coach. She then capped that with a gold medal and a perfect 8-0 record in Sydney, bringing her total USA Basketball head coaching record to 101-14 (.878)., the most wins of any coach in [[USA women's national basketball team|Women's USA Basketball]] history.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.indianapoliswoman.com/covergallery/01/june.asp | title=Nothin' But Nell | publisher=Indianapolis Woman | date=2001-06-01}}</ref>

===Indiana Fever===
On August 17, 1999, Fortner was named the first head coach and general manager of the expansion franchise [[Indiana Fever]] of the [[Women's National Basketball Association]].<ref name=feverhistory>{{cite web | url=http://www.wnba.com/fever/fanzone/Fever_History.html | title=Fever Franchise History | publisher=WNBA.com | access-date=2009-03-07}}</ref> However, as she was already committed to her post as the coach of the United States Olympic Team, she continued coaching Team USA through the 2000 Olympic Games.  Assistant coach [[Anne Donovan]] served as interim head coach during the 2000 season before Fortner joined the Fever for the 2001 campaign.<ref name=feverhistory />  She lifted the upstart franchise during the 2002 season to a .500 record and a playoff win in the club’s first post-season appearance. She resigned following the 2003 season. During her time in the WNBA, Fortner compiled a 42-56 record.

===Auburn===
On April 22, 2004, Nell Fortner was named the fifth head coach in [[Auburn Tigers women's basketball]] history.<ref name=au>{{cite web | url=http://www.ocm.auburn.edu/ecommons/051904/story11.html | title=Fortner hired to lead women's basketball | publisher=Auburn.edu | date=2004-05-19}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2004-04-22-roundup_x.htm | title=Auburn hires Fortner as women's basketball coach | publisher=[[USA Today]] | date=2004-04-22}}</ref> She replaced [[Joe Ciampi]], who retired after his 25th season with a school-record 568 victories. Fortner was named the SEC Coach of the Year for the 2008-09 regular season, which saw her team start 20-0 before finishing 27-2 overall and 12-2 in the SEC to win the [[Southeastern Conference]] title.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2009/03/nell_fortner_was_sporting_the.html | title=SEC CHAMPS: Auburn, Nell Fortner celebrate women's basketball title in style | publisher=[[Birmingham News]] | date=2009-03-01}}</ref>

=== Georgia Tech ===
In April 2019, Fortner was hired as the women's basketball coach at Georgia Tech.<ref name=":2" /> In 2021, the team made the program's second-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance in the [[NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament]].

==Head coaching record==

===NCAA===

{{CBB Yearly Record Start
|type=coach
|conference=
|postseason=
|poll=no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=[[Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball|Purdue Boilermakers]]
|startyear=1996
|conference=[[Big Ten Conference]]
|endyear=1997
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = 1996–97
 | name         = Purdue
 | overall      = 17–11
 | conference   = 12–4
 | confstanding = T–1st
 | postseason   = [[1997 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA]] Second Round
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Purdue
 | overall    = 17–11 ({{Winning percentage|17|11}}) 
 | confrecord = 12–4 ({{Winning percentage|12|4}}) 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=[[Auburn Tigers women's basketball|Auburn Tigers]]
|startyear=2004
|conference=[[Southeastern Conference]]
|endyear=2012
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship =
 | season       = 2004–05
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 16–13
 | conference   = 6–8
 | confstanding = T–6th
 | postseason   =
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship =
 | season       = 2005–06
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 14–15
 | conference   = 4–10
 | confstanding = 10th
 | postseason   =
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship =
 | season       = 2006–07
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 21–13
 | conference   = 6–8
 | confstanding = 9th
 | postseason   = [[2007 Women's National Invitation Tournament|WNIT]] Quarterfinals
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship =
 | season       = 2007–08
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 20–12
 | conference   = 7–7
 | confstanding = 6th
 | postseason   = [[2008 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA]] First Round
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = conference
 | season       = 2008–09
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 30–4
 | conference   = 12–2
 | confstanding = 1st
 | postseason   = [[2009 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA]] Second Round
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2009–10]]
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 15–16
 | conference   = 5–11
 | confstanding = 10th
 | postseason   =
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2010–11 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2010–11]]
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 16–16
 | conference   = 8–8
 | confstanding = T–5th
 | postseason   = [[2011 Women's National Invitation Tournament|WNIT]] Second Round
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2011–12 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2011–12]]
 | name         = Auburn
 | overall      = 13–17
 | conference   = 5–11
 | confstanding = 9th
 | postseason   =
 | ranking      = no
 | ranking2     = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Auburn
 | overall    = 145–106 ({{Winning percentage|145|106}}) 
 | confrecord = 53–65 ({{Winning percentage|53|65}}) 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
|name=[[Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball|Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets]]
|startyear=2019
|conference=[[Atlantic Coast Conference]]
|endyear=2025
|}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2019–20]]
 | name         = [[2019–20 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team|Georgia Tech]]
 | overall      = 20–11
 | conference   = 10–8
 | confstanding = 7th
 | postseason   =''Postseason not held''
 | ranking      =
 | ranking2     =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2020–21]]
 | name         = [[2020–21 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team|Georgia Tech]]
 | overall      = 17–9
 | conference   = 12–6
 | confstanding = 3rd
 | postseason   = [[2021 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA]] Sweet Sixteen
 | ranking      =
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2021–22]]
 | name         = [[2021–22 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team|Georgia Tech]]
 | overall      = 21–11
 | conference   = 11–7
 | confstanding = 6th
 | postseason   = [[2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA]] First Round
 | ranking      =
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2022–23]]
 | name         = [[2022–23 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team|Georgia Tech]]
 | overall      = 13–17
 | conference   = 4–14
 | confstanding = T–13th
 | postseason   = 
 | ranking      =
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2023–24]]
 | name         = [[2023–24 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team|Georgia Tech]]
 | overall      = 17–16
 | conference   = 7–11
 | confstanding = T–10th
 | postseason   = [[Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament|WBIT]] First Round 
 | ranking      =
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
 | championship = 
 | season       = [[2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season|2024–25]]
 | name         = [[2024–25 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team|Georgia Tech]]
 | overall      = 22–11
 | conference   = 9–9
 | confstanding = T-8th 
 | postseason   =[[2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament|NCAA]] First Round 
 | ranking      =
 | ranking2     = 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
 | name       = Georgia Tech
 | overall    = {{Winning percentage|110|75|record=y}} 
 | confrecord = {{Winning percentage|53|55|record=y}} 
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
 | overall  = {{Winning percentage|272|192|record=y}} 
 | poll     = no
 | polltype =
}}

===WNBA===

{{NBA coach statistics legend}}
{{NBA coach statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | [[2001 Indiana Fever season|IND]]
| align="left" |[[2001 WNBA season|2001]]
|32||10||22||{{Winning percentage|10|22}}|| align="center" |6th in Eastern||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |[[2002 Indiana Fever season|IND]]
| align="left" |[[2002 WNBA season|2002]]
|32||16||16||{{Winning percentage|16|16}}|| align="center" |4th in Eastern||3||1||2||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}
| align="center" |Lost in [[2002 WNBA Playoffs|Conference semifinals]]
|- 
| align="left" |[[2003 Indiana Fever season|IND]]
| align="left" |[[2003 WNBA season|2003]]
|34||16||18||{{Winning percentage|16|18}}|| align="center" |5th in Eastern||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;||&mdash;
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |'''Career'''
| ||98||42||56||{{Winning percentage|42|56}}|| ||3||1||2||{{Winning percentage|1|2}}||
{{s-end}}

===International===
Fortner led the [[United States women's national basketball team]] to a 101–14 record, the most wins of any coach in Women’s USA Basketball history.

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="NCAA Coaches">{{cite web|title=Women's Basketball Coaches Career|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careercoach|website=NCAA|access-date=25 Sep 2015}}</ref>

<ref name="World 1998">{{cite web|title=THIRTEENTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR WOMEN -- 1998|url=http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/national/wwc_1998.html|publisher=USA Basketball|access-date=14 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525100403/http://www.usabasketball.com/womens/national/wwc_1998.html|archive-date=25 May 2013}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160424042814/http://origin.wnba.com/coachfile/nell_fortner/index.html WNBA bio (archived)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160625075459/http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/fortner_nell00.html Auburn Tigers bio (archived)]

{{navboxes|list=
{{Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Auburn Tigers women's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Big Ten Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{Indiana Fever}}
{{United States Women's Basketball 1998 FIBA Champions}}
{{Footer 2000 Olympic Champions Basketball Women}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortner, Nell}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Auburn Tigers women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Basketball coaches from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Jackson, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Indiana Fever coaches]]
[[Category:Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from New Braunfels, Texas]]
[[Category:Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball)]]
[[Category:Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks basketball coaches]]
[[Category:Texas Longhorns women's basketball players]]
[[Category:Texas Longhorns women's volleyball players]]
[[Category:United States women's national basketball team coaches]]
[[Category:Olympic coaches for the United States]]
[[Category:Women's National Basketball Association general managers]]