03/23/26 04:33:00
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03/23 16:31 CDT Randy Bennett set to leave Saint Mary's to become Arizona
State's next coach, AP source says
Randy Bennett set to leave Saint Mary's to become Arizona State's next coach,
AP source says
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) --- Arizona 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.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday because Bennett is meeting
with his team at Saint Mary's before an official announcement will be made.
Bennett spent 25 years as Saint Mary's head coach, repeatedly turning down
offers to coach at larger programs.
The chance to return home after the firing of Bobby Hurley was too much for the
62-year-old coach to turn down this time.
Bennett grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and graduated from Westwood High School on
the west side of town, not far from Arizona State's campus. He began his
college career at Mesa Community College, playing two seasons under his father,
Tom, before transferring to the University of San Diego.
Bennett began his coaching career as an assistant at San Diego and, after
multiple other stops, became the head coach at Saint Mary's in 2001.
Bennett thrived in his first head coaching job, leading the Gaels to the NCAA
Tournament 12 times and the NIT seven. Saint Mary's .750 win percentage over
the past 22 years is fourth nationally behind Gonzaga, Duke and Kansas.
He was the West Coast Conference coach of the year seven times and is Saint
Mary's all-time leader in wins with 589.
Saint Mary's went 27-6 this season, reached as high as No. 21 in the AP Top 25
and shared the WCC regular-season title with Gonzaga, the fourth straight
season the Gaels won or shared the title. Gonzaga is leaving for the Pac-12
next season, weakening the West Coast Conference and contributing to Bennett's
decision to leave for ASU.
Saint Mary's reached the NCAA Tournament in Bennett's final five seasons in
Moraga, earning a No. 5 seed in this year's bracket. Texas A&M bounced the
Gaels from March Madness with a 63-50 win the opening round.
Associate coach Mickey McConnell will replace Bennett at Saint Mary's, a person
familiar with the decision told the AP on condition of anonymity because an
announcement hadn't been made. McConnell spent the past seven seasons on
Bennett's staff and was the WCC Player of the Year in 2011.
Bennett takes over an Arizona State program that was up-and-down during
Hurley's 11 seasons.
The Sun Devils went to the NCAA Tournament three times under Hurley, including
two straight from 2018-19. Arizona State appeared to be in position to reach
the NCAA Tournament in three straight years for the first time since the 1960s
before the 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hurley needed to make another NCAA Tournament run this season in the final year
of his contract, but the Sun Devils finished 17-16.
___
AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in San Francisco contributed to this report.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and
coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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