Associate head coach Mickey McConnell named Saint Mary’s new coach. Bennett coached the Gaels for a quarter century, leading the program 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, a former star guard for Saint Mary’s, was named Saint Mary’s new coach later Monday. 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’ seasonCal State East Bay’s first Elite Eight challenge? A 7-foot-2, 371-pound centerArizona State hires Randy Bennett: Why longtime Saint Mary's coach fits“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. “This is a special place to me and my family and I’m honored to have the support and trust from President Roger Thompson and Athletic Director Mike Matoso to lead the Saint Mary’s basketball program,” McConnell said in a news release. “None of us would be in this position without Coach Bennett and all he has done over the years. “Everything he has done has been to put the program first and get it onto the National stage. I can’t thank him enough for being such a strong leader and mentor to me.” 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. “He will be missed as a leader and coach, and has left us with a lasting legacy of excellence,” Saint Mary’s VP of athletics Mike Matoso said in a statement. “Randy’s influence as the architect of building Saint Mary’s Basketball onto the national stage has provided an incredible foundation for ongoing success.” 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.“We were drawn to his sustained success over multiple decades, his strong recruiting relationships across the country, particularly on the West Coast, and his proven ability to identify and develop international talent,” Arizona State AD Graham Rossini said in the school’s statement announcing the move. 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.Now it’s McConnell’s turn to coach the Gaels. “We have known for several years now that Mickey would be the perfect fit to lead our men’s basketball program and continue the success this program has achieved, while beginning a new and exciting era,” Matoso said. “We couldn’t be more thankful and grateful for everything Coach Bennett has done for Saint Mary’s. “We have been in coordination with Randy for years on how to continue this success if he were to leave. We have and will continue to fund and support this program at a very high level and provide all the resources for Mickey to succeed in this role.” Homicide victim had been warned to steer clear of Norteño turf, but teenaged killer caught him there, feds saySuspect sentenced to 2 years in $1.1 million San Ramon jewelry store robberyMan dies from injuries sustained in East Bay fightHomicide suspect arrested in Lafayette after man found dead in home‘Is my mom OK?’: San Mateo man sentenced to 35 years for killing Hayward ex-girlfriend
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