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Nell Fortner
Nell Fortner (born March 3, 1959) is an American college basketball coach. She is most well known for leading the 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.
Fortner served as a TV analyst for ESPN from 2001 to 2004 before returning as the head women's basketball coach at Auburn University. In 2013, she returned to ESPN as a TV analyst. From 2019 to 2025, she was the women's basketball coach at Georgia Tech.
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 to 1981. 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 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.
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.
She turned to the college ranks as a graduate assistant under Gary Blair at 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.
Prior to the 1990–91 NCAA season, Fortner was hired by Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech, where she spent five years as an assistant coach from 1990 to 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 national championship game in 1994.
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Nell Fortner
Nell Fortner (born March 3, 1959) is an American college basketball coach. She is most well known for leading the 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.
Fortner served as a TV analyst for ESPN from 2001 to 2004 before returning as the head women's basketball coach at Auburn University. In 2013, she returned to ESPN as a TV analyst. From 2019 to 2025, she was the women's basketball coach at Georgia Tech.
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 to 1981. 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 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.
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.
She turned to the college ranks as a graduate assistant under Gary Blair at 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.
Prior to the 1990–91 NCAA season, Fortner was hired by Hall of Fame coach Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech, where she spent five years as an assistant coach from 1990 to 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 national championship game in 1994.