When Jose Fernandez arrived in Tampa, in April of 2000, as an assistant women's basketball coach at the University of South Florida he did so with a reputation as a coach with an endless network of recruiting connections and an even more endless work ethic. There was no question that eventually when Fernandez got his shot to guide his own program he would be a success. Well, as the 38-year old Miami native enters his 11th season as head coach at USF he has proven that the prognosticators were correct, guiding the Bulls to an unprecedented seven-straight postseason tournaments and to the cusp of bringing his program into the upper echelon of the BIG EAST Conference.

Fernandez, who was officially named head coach on Nov. 14, 2000 - just seven months after coming to USF - has led the Bulls in an amazing turnaround in a short period of time. Under his tutelage, USF has advanced to seven postseason tournaments, including the programs first-ever NCAA Tournament during the 2005-06 season, and to six seasons of .500 or better - in the past nine years - after the Bulls had recorded just three winning seasons, all 14-13 slate's, in the last 23 years. He has also guided USF to three 20-win campaigns - 21-11 in 2004-05, 21-12 in 2006-07 and 27-10 in 2008-09 - over the last six years.

During that six-year stretch, Fernandez has guided the Bulls to a 104-61 (.607).

Fernandez got his start in the coaching profession from a man that would give him a couple of opportunities in the business. While working on his associate's degree at Miami-Dade CC Kendall - where he earned his degree in 1991 - Fernandez served as a student assistant coach for the men's basketball team and was immediately thrown into the fray with on-floor coaching, scouting, and most importantly, overseeing recruiting correspondence and getting his name out in front of coaches around the state.

It was at Miami-Dade that Fernandez met Cesar Odio, who not only saw his tremendous potential and hired him as a student assistant, but then promoted him to a full-time assistant coach upon his graduation in 1991. He would stay at Miami-Dade for one season (1991-92) before becoming the assistant boys basketball coach at Miami's Sunset High School (1992-94).

Following his two seasons at Sunset, Fernandez and Odio would renew acquaintances when Odio was tabbed head men's basketball coach at Barry University in Miami Shores, FL (1994-96). Fernandez came along as Odio's top assistant and immediately established himself as a coach that had a sharp eye for talent and potential. During his brief two-year stay at Barry, Fernandez helped the Buccaneers to consecutive winning seasons, after the program only produced just two in the first 10 years, and a combined 34-21 record.

Fernandez entered the world of girls basketball in 1996 when he secured his first head-coaching job at Miami's Lourdes Academy. During his three seasons at Lourdes, Fernandez led the Bobcats to a stellar 83-16 (.838) record and a trip to the state 5A championship game in 1998 where they finished as the runner-up. In addition to his coaching responsibilities at Lourdes, Fernandez established valuable roots among Florida and high school coaches from around the nation as director of the successful Miami Suns AAU program.

Fernandez would then break into collegiate women's basketball when he returned to Barry for his second of two tours of duty at the school. In his second stint, he served one year (1999-00) as the top assistant coach for the Buccaneers. Although it was just one season, Fernandez helped Barry record the second most wins in the program's history as the Buccaneers posted a 22-8 record and the program's second-best slate ever in the Sunshine State Conference at 10-4. The team's 22 wins that season is still just one of three 20-wins campaign's for Barry since the women's basketball team started competing during the 1988-89 season.

After earning his stripes in high school basketball and in Division II, Fernandez was named assistant women's basketball coach at USF in April of 2000 and then interim head coach in October of 2000. On December 14, 2000, Fernandez was officially tabbed head coach of the Bulls.
 
It was just the opportunity that he had been waiting for, and frankly deserved. He quickly used his recruiting connections - both in and out of the state of Florida - to help make USF a household name to scholastic players looking to play collegiately.

Fernandez's first Division I recruiting class - the 2001-02 class - was ranked No. 36 in America by the All Star Girls Report, the highest ranked class in the history of the women's basketball program. That class provided instant dividends for USF as the Bulls would open the 01-02 campaign 7-0 en route to their first winning season in four years (14-13) after posting a meager 4-24 ledger the previous year. In that seven-game stretch, the Bulls defeated in-state rival and BIG EAST Conference member Miami before falling to Florida for their first loss of the year.

Fernandez followed his original class with a group that was tabbed 40th in America as it entered the 2002-03 campaign, while the 2003-04 class was slated as the 33rd best by the All Star Girls Report.

Fernandez finally turned the corner with the program during the 2003-04 season, as the Bulls recorded what was, then, the most successful season of his coaching career. The 33rd ranked class included freshmen Jessica Dickson, Nalini Miller and Rachael Sheats, along with junior college transfer Anedra Gilmore. That class also proved to pay dividends, and paid them quickly. Along with this core group of newcomers and veteran returnees, Fernandez helped the Bulls advance to the postseason for the first time in school history when they faced Richmond in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
 
During the 2004-05 campaign, Fernandez guided his program to heights never seen before at USF - at least for the time being. The Bulls recorded their best record in school history (21-11) and also set a new school mark for wins in a season and wins in conference play (9-5). The team also advanced to its second-consecutive postseason WNIT, which included the program's first-ever victory with a win at home over Florida.
 
The 2005-06 season was the season that the Miami native etched his and his program's name in the history books at USF. Although they fell just short of the win total of the previous year, the Bulls recorded a memorable season that was capped off by the team advancing to its first-ever NCAA Tournament. USF was seeded ninth in the Bridgeport Region and faced No. 8 seed Southern Cal at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.

On their season-long road to "The Big Dance," the Bulls defeated nationally ranked DePaul (79-77 ot) and Notre Dame (68-64 ot). When all of the dust settled, USF boasted a 19-12 record and a 9-7 slate, which was good enough for a share of sixth place in its first year in the BIG EAST Conference.

During the 2006-07 season Fernandez would once again record several milestones in his and the program's history. On Dec. 28, 2006 with a 77-62 win over Vermont in the first round of the Saint Joseph's University Hawk Classic, Fernandez became the women's basketball team's career leader in wins surpassing former Bulls' head coach and former Charlotte Sting leader Trudi Lacey.

Later in the year he would reach a mark that had been a long time coming when he recorded his 100th career win in the Bulls' final win of the season, a 66-49 win over Coppin State on March 19, 2007 in the second round of the WNIT. In addition, that appearance in the WNIT was the program's fourth straight for USF, a first for either basketball program at the school.
 
During the 2007-08 campaign - the Bulls posted a 16-16 record and advanced to their fifth-consecutive postseason event facing Florida Gulf Coast in the WNIT.

The year didn't go without its share of thrilling nights as the "Green and Gold" knocked off No. 25 DePaul, 78-73, and defeated Syracuse in the BIG EAST Tournament first round, 68-67 in overtime, in what was looked at as one of the event's most exciting games. The Orange had just dropped out of the Top 25 prior to their loss to the Bulls.

The 2008-09 season, however, was a season that would make people sit up and take notice, as Fernandez guided the Bulls to their most successful campaign in its history. USF would register a school record for wins in a season, with 27, while also finishing at least .500 (8-8) for the third time in the program's four years in the BIG EAST Conference.
 
The Bulls would log regular season highlights that included finishing second in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. with wins over Iowa, in overtime, and Texas Tech. The only loss during the event would come at the hands of No. 3 ranked California. USF would also travel to New Jersey where it would defeat Rutgers for the first time ever. It would also hand DePaul a crucial setback at the end of the season.

After advancing to its sixth consecutive postseason tournament, the Bulls would the make school history going 5-0 in the WNIT en route to the title. After defeating Florida Gulf Coast in overtime and Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi at home, USF would embark on a three-game, 10-day road odyssey that would begin in western New York with an 80-66 win at St. Bonaventure, then an 82-65 victory at Boston College. The Bulls would then head west to the nation's heartland where they would hand Kansas a 75-71 loss in the WNIT finals in front of a record crowd of 16,113 at historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse capping the best season in the program's history.

Last year, the 2009-10 season, saw the Bulls continue their consistency while face a bit of rebuilding. USF, however, continued its run of consecutive postseason berths advancing to the WNIT first round where it faced Florida.
 
Fernandez is also of the impression that to be the best you have to play the best, and in his time at USF the team has done just that. The Bulls' schedule has included some of the biggest teams in women's basketball. Michigan State, LSU, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Connecticut (prior to USF joining the BIG EAST), Georgia, Iowa State, Arizona State, Kansas State, UNLV, Duke and Wake Forest, to name a few,  have helped to make up USF's non-conference schedule the past 10 years.
 
The team's 2005-06 slate proved to be the toughest in school history. The Bulls faced eventual Final Four participants No. 7/8 North Carolina, No. 13/15 Michigan State, and No. 3/3 LSU all prior to their conference schedule, their first in the BIG EAST.

This year, however, will come close to rivaling the 2005-06 ledger as the Bulls will take on Middle Tennessee State, Auburn, Texas and Nebraska in addition to their usual demanding BIG EAST Conference schedule.

After graduating from Miami-Dade Kendall, Fernandez earned his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1994 from Florida International University.

Along with his coaching duties at the beginning of his professional career, Fernandez also taught physical education at Miami's Coral Reef Senior High School, Southwest Senior High School and Hialeah Middle School.

Fernandez and his wife Tonya live in Tampa with their daughters Sydnie (16), Alex (15), Taylor (13), Brianna (9) and Brooke (6).