Cindy Fisher, the women’s basketball coach at the University of San Diego for the last 20 seasons, will not return.
USD announced the move late Saturday, after a loss at Oregon State dropped the team to 6-21 overall and 2-16 in West Coast Conference play. Fisher will finish the season, which ends with a final home game Thursday against Loyola Marymount, Saturday’s regular-season finale at USF and the WCC Tournament.
Fisher is 345-267 overall and 167-159 in conference play at USD. The Toreros have made one NCAA Tournament and eight WNIT appearances under Fisher.
The 2024-25 season has been marked by long stretches of losing. USD was 4-5 after beating Cal State Northridge in mid-December. The Toreros lost their next 14 games before sweeping Pacific and Santa Clara earlier this month. Those two wins were followed by a 16-point loss at Portland and Saturday’s 13-point loss at Oregon State.
“Cindy has been an integral part of USD Athletics for the past two decades, and we are incredibly grateful for her leadership, dedication, and impact on our women’s basketball program,” said Kimya Massey, USD athletic director. “We wish her the best in her next chapter.”
Massey will conduct a national search for Fisher’s replacement, with the first-year AD saying he is “committed to investing in the program’s success.”
Wins have been rare for both of USD’s basketball programs this season.
The Toreros men also lost to Oregon State on Saturday, falling to 4-25 overall and 1-15 in conference play. Both teams are last in the WCC standings; the USD men, coached by Steve Lavin, last won a game on Dec. 30.
In a statement, Fisher thanked her current and past players and coaches, Toreros fans, USD president James T. Harris III and Ky Snyder, the athletic director who hired her.
“Coaching at USD has been the honor of a lifetime and I know the future is bright for the Toreros,” she said. “Most importantly, I want to thank the remarkable student-athletes, past and present, who have poured their hearts into this program. Watching their growth both on and off the court has been the most rewarding part of my journey. Together, we built a culture rooted in hard work, resilience, and excellence, something I will always be proud of. …
“While this chapter is closing, I look forward to the next opportunity with excitement and optimism.”
Fisher was named the third coach in program history ahead of the 2005-06 season, replacing Kathy Marpe. Before that, she was the head coach at Wyoming (1998-2003) and the top assistant at Nebraska (2003-05).
USD went 9-19 in Fisher’s first season but was in the NCAA Tournament two years later. The Toreros won the WCC Tournament after finishing tied for third in the standings, earning an automatic qualifier to the NCAAs. A No. 14 seed, USD lost 77-60 to Cal in the first round.
