Nell Fortner Retires After 15 Seasons, Led U.S. to Olympic Gold

Nell Fortner announced her retirement after 15 seasons as a college basketball head coach, including the last six at Georgia Tech, where she achieved a 110-75 record and led the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Fortner, 66, previously coached at Purdue and Auburn, earning coach of the year honors across three conferences. She also served as the first coach and general manager for the WNBA's Indiana Fever and coached the USA women's national team to a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics. In her retirement statement, Fortner described Georgia Tech as a 'gold mine' for athletics and expressed her gratitude to players and staff while emphasizing the program's potential for future success. Despite having received a contract extension just months prior, she felt it was time to step away after over 30 years in coaching. Georgia Tech plans to appoint assistant LaSondra Barrett as interim coach while searching for a permanent replacement.