Nicci Hays Fort - Director of Recruiting, Influence and Branding Strategy - Women's Basketball Support Staff

Nicci Hays Fort

Title:
Director of Recruiting, Influence and Branding Strategy

Nicci Hays Fort enters her second season on the Oklahoma women’s basketball staff in 2025-26.

She was named the Sooners’ director of recruiting, influence and branding strategy on August 27, 2024, joining head coach Jennie Baranczyk’s staff.

In her first season in Norman, Hays Fort played a key role in securing the nation’s No. 15 recruiting class, which featured three top-70 prospects, including the nation’s top-ranked player and Gatorade National Player of the Year, Aaliyah Chavez.

A former head coach with over 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, Hays Fort came to Oklahoma after eight seasons at Drake, including five under Baranczyk. In her role at OU, she leads the program’s recruiting strategy and student-athlete retention efforts while overseeing influence and branding initiatives. She collaborates with campus and community stakeholders to strengthen the program’s visibility and engagement and serves as the primary contact for NIL opportunities and related partnerships.

During her time at Drake, Hays Fort helped guide the Bulldogs to five NCAA Tournament appearances and seven 20-win seasons. While on Baranczyk’s staff, Drake won three consecutive conference titles and posted a 53-1 Missouri Valley Conference record from 2017 to 2019. She also helped lead the Bulldogs to league championships in 2023 and 2024, culminating in a program-record 29 wins during the 2023-24 season.

Before Drake, Hays Fort served as the head coach at Colgate from 2011 to 2016, where she led the Raiders to their most conference wins in more than a decade and coached seven All-Patriot League performers. Her 2016 team set a program record with 170 blocked shots.

She spent five seasons at DePaul (2006–11), first as an assistant coach and later as associate head coach. During her tenure, the Blue Demons made five NCAA Tournament appearances and compiled a 112-54 (.675) record. In her final season on staff, DePaul finished 10th in the final AP Poll after a 29-7 campaign.

Hays Fort’s coaching career also includes stops at Barry University (2002–06), Nicholls State (2000–02), and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (1998–00).

A 1998 graduate of Culver-Stockton College, she began her collegiate playing career at Truman State University, where she was a two-sport athlete in basketball and softball.

Hays Fort and her husband, Gregg, reside in Norman.