Dan Fitzgerald
Dan Fitzgerald (1942-2010)
Teams coached: Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga record: 254-169 (.600)
Overall record: 254-169 (.600)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 0
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1 (1995)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 0
- NIT Championships: 0
- NIT Appearances: 2 (1994, 1996)
- WCC Regular Season Champion: 2 (1994, 1996)
- WCC Tournament Champion: 1 (1995)
Awards:
- WCC Coach of the Year: 2 (1981, 1994)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 1985-1997 | Gonzaga |
| 1978-1981 | Gonzaga |
| 1975-1978 | Santa Clara (asst) |
| 1972-1974 | Gonzaga (asst) |
| 1971-1972 | Santa Clara (asst) |
Dan Fitzgerald Facts
- Daniel John Fitzgerald
- Born March 3, 1942
- Died January 19, 2010
- Hometown: San Francisco, California
- Alma Mater: California State University, Los Angeles (BA)
- Graduated from St. Ignatius HS in San Francisco, then spent time at San Francisco State and Santa Clara before ultimately graduated from Cal State Los Angeles
- Began his coaching career as the JV head coach at Daniel Murphy HS in Los Angeles, then served as the head coach at Archbishop Mitty HS in San José for three years
- Named California High School Coach of the Year in 1970
- Spent one year as an assistant under Carroll Williams at Santa Clara and two years at Gonzaga under Adrian Buoncristiani
- Had another three-year stint with Williams at Santa Clara before he returning to Gonzaga for good in 1978
- Fitzgerald was hired as head basketball coach and athletic director and one of his first projects was moving the program from the Big Sky to the WCAC (now WCC)
- Led the Bulldogs for three seasons then stepped away to focus more on his AD responsibilities
- Returned to the sidelines in 1985, coaching the Bulldogs for another 12 years while still acting as AD
- Finished his coaching career with a 254-169 record over 15 seasons, going to the NIT twice and NCAA Tournament once
- Led the Bulldogs to their first-ever WCC title in 1994 (and another in 1996) and WCC Tournament title in 1995
- Fitzgerald was responsible for hiring future Gonzaga coaches Jay Hillock, Dan Monson and Mark Few and future San Diego coach Bill Grier; also recruited and coached future Hall of Fame player John Stockton
- Resigned from both roles in 1997 and remained in the Spokane area, working in the private sector
- Passed away in 2010 after suffering a heart attack; survived by his wife Darleen, daughter Kelli and brother Jim
Dan Fitzgerald Coaching Tree
- Mark Few (Gonzaga)
- Bill Grier (San Diego)
- Jay Hillock (Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga)
- Dan Monson (Eastern Washington, Long Beach State, Minnesota, Gonzaga)
