Following a three-year stretch as the Mustang men’s basketball program’s associate head coach, it was announced on Friday morning by the Cal Poly Athletics Department that Paul Fortier has departed the team to accept an assistant coaching role with Drexel.
Seventh-year Cal Poly head coach Joe Callero has not yet named a replacement to his staff.
During Fortier’s first year with Cal Poly during the 2013-14 season, the Mustangs captured both the program’s first Big West Conference Tournament championship and the first NCAA Division I Tournament victory. The Mustangs led the Big West in fewest points allowed per game in two of Fortier’s three seasons. Responsible for developing Cal Poly’s frontcourt game, Fortier helped coach forwards Chris Eversley (2013-14) and Brian Bennett (2014-15) to All-Big West Conference praise.
In Fortier’s final year during the 2015-16 season, Cal Poly enjoyed its highest scoring average in 14 years and finished 16th among NCAA Division I programs with just 10.3 turnovers per game.
“Leaving Cal Poly is not easy because the program holds such promise,” Fortier said. “We’ve made history here and the young men that are still in the program are ambitious, talented and intelligent players. I’ve learned much from coach Callero and the players and I’ll miss all of them and this very special place.”
Fortier arrived at Cal Poly in June 2013 following eight seasons as an assistant coach at Washington.
“We’re sad to see coach Fortier leave our program, but happy to support him in his career goals,” Callero said. “He was an excellent associate head coach and a mentor for our young men. He was a critical part of our team’s success two years ago when we went to the NCAA Tournament.”
Cal Poly is expected to return 10 letterwinners from last year’s squad for the 2016-17 season.