Women's Golf
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- p.cortes-ortiz@missouri.edu
| Paola Cortes-Ortiz Career | ||
| 2016-2020 | Stephen F. Austin | Player |
| 2019-2020 | Stephen F. Austin | Coaching Intern |
| 2020-2024 | UTRGV | Assistant Coach |
| 2024-Present | Missouri | Assistant Coach |
Paola Cortes-Ortiz is in her first season at Mizzou, serving as an assistant coach with the men’s and women’s programs. Cortes-Ortiz joins the Tigers after a record-breaking three-year run at UTRGV.
Joining the Vaqueros in 2021, Cortes-Ortiz helped both the men’s and women’s programs to multiple record milestones. With the women's team in 2022-23, UTRGV posted the lowest team scoring average in school history – improving its average by 5.62 strokes in just one season. The Vaqueros added 36-hole and 54-hole records at their home tournament, while collecting three top-three finishes to start the spring season.
Cortes-Ortiz also helped the men's team claim its best finish conference finish in program history when it placed second at the 2024 WAC Championship, while capturing the Big Texan Championship in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024. In addition, Cortes-Ortiz – who led the program to improve its GolfStat ranking by 56 spots during the 2022 spring season when she served as interim head coach – helped mentor Javier Neira to first-team All-WAC honors in 2024 with one individual title at the Big Texan Championship. Following the 2024 season, the men’s golf program earned the department’s Team Performance of the Year award.
The Vaqueros also excelled off the course during Cortes Ortiz's time with the programs. The women's team was named the school's Academic Team of the Year and the Community Service Team of the Year for the 2021-22 campaign, while the men's team followed with Academic Team of the Year the next season, finishing with the highest GPA in 2022-23 with a 3.87 grade point average.
Originally from Allen, Texas, Cortes-Ortiz played four seasons at Stephen F. Austin, where she competed in 96 rounds with two top-20 and one top-10 finishes. She is also a member of the Puerto Rico women's program and represented the national team at the Puerto Rico Island Championship and Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship.
Cortes-Ortiz earned her bachelor’s degree in sports business from Stephen F. Austin in 2020.
