Bennett coached Saint Mary’s for a quarter century, leading the Gaels to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Saint Mary’s Gaels Randy Bennett gestures after their 86-67 win over the Santa Clara Broncos at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. and 11 conference championships over 25 seasons in Moraga, Bennett is returning to his home state to take over at ASU from Bobby Hurley, whose contract was not renewed this month after 11 seasons with the Sun Devils.
Bennett broke the news to his Saint Mary’s players in a 2 p.m. meeting Monday. Associate head coach Mickey McConnell, the former star guard for Saint Mary’s, is expected to take over the program. Bennett, 63, is a native of Mesa, Arizona. He is the son of former Mesa Community College coach Tom Bennett, who was a seven-time conference coach of the year.Not only has Saint Mary’s reached the past five NCAA Tournaments; it has won at least a share of the last four West Coast Conference titles. The Gaels’ season“I’m leaving at a good time,“ Bennett said, referring to the fact that the Gaels could have four starters back next season, including three first-team all-conference players. “I’m leaving the program in a great situation.“ All-WCC guards Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent are both sophomores and star forward Paulius Murauskas is a junior. In the era of the transfer portal and NIL deals, no roster is guaranteed. McConnell, 36, was the conference player of the year in 2011 as a senior, winning a share of the WCC regular-season title after nailing a buzzer-beater to upset Gonzaga in Spokane. The prior year, he helped the Gaels reach the Sweet 16 with upsets over Richmond and Villanova. Bennett led the Gaels to a 589-228 record and was named West Coast Conference coach of the year seven times. This season, Saint Mary’s went 16-2 in the WCC, tying Gonzaga for the regular-season championship, and finished 27-6 overall. Bennett’s ability to lure international talent, particularly from Australia, helped build a foundation for sustained success at Saint Mary’s. Australians Patty Mills and Matthew Dellavedova starred for Bennett in Moraga before moving on to the NBA. Bennett has been a candidate for coaching opportunities through the years – or at least rumored to be a candidate – but always chose to stay with Saint Mary’s.Arizona State hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 2023 and has made March Madness just three times in the past 12 years.Under Bennett, Saint Mary’s was primed to take over as the top dog in the WCC with Gonzaga leaving for the Pac-12 next season. Now, Bennett is moving on to an ASU program that is in a heavyweight conference that includes Kansas, Arizona, Houston and Iowa State.Dear Abby: I keep getting falsely accused, and I really resent these peopleAsking Eric: My friends tell me I'm lucky. Who can I talk to about what my husband does?Harriette Cole: My husband has gone off the deep end in his retirementMeta targeted older workers in layoffs, lawsuit by former senior director for company claimsHomicide victim had been warned to steer clear of Norteño turf, but teenaged killer caught him there, feds say
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Midwest's top-seeded Michigan rolls to a 95-72 win over Saint LouisYaxel Lendeborg punctuated his 25-point outing with a massive dunk in transition, and the Midwest Region's top-seeded Michigan advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 9
Read more »
Kalshi Promo Code COVERS: Get $10 Bonus for Michigan vs. Saint Louis, NCAA Tournament PredictionsGet the Kalshi promo code COVERS for $10 bonus on March Madness Saturday late games. Trade on Texas vs Gonzaga and more exciting matchups.
Read more »
Kim Kardashian Shares Pic of Son Saint, 10, on Dirt BikeKim Kardashian has shared photos of her 10-year-old son Saint popping a wheelie on a dirt bike, dubbing her son ‘Biker Boy Saint’
Read more »
Saint Louis Head Coach Showers Michigan With Praise After NCAA Tournament LossThe Sint Louis head man made several compliments about Michigan after his team fell to the Wolverines in the NCAA Tournament
Read more »
Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett linked to Arizona State jobBennett, 63, is a native of Mesa, Arizona. He is the son of former Mesa Community College coach Tom Bennett, who was a seven-time conference coach of the year.
Read more »
AP Source: Randy Bennett set to leave Saint Mary's to become Arizona State's next coachArizona State is expected to lure Randy Bennett away from Saint Mary's to become its next men's basketball coach, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
Read more »