Discussing Major Connections Between Bennett's ASU Coaching Hires

Follow key topics surrounding the hiring of both of the assistant coaches below with ASU on SI.

Croy Follows Son to ASU

Croy taking the Arizona State job comes just a week after his son JRob flipped his commitment from St. Mary's to Arizona State.

The pairing between father and son will be an interesting dynamic, as the elder Croy is a widely respected coach who took Cal Baptist to the next level, while the younger Croy is considered a four-star prospect in the 2026 class.

Is Croy Potentially Coach in Waiting?

There have been whispers that Croy departed from his role at Cal Baptist for reasons that extend beyond his son attending Arizona State - could he be in line to take over once the future hall-of-fame coach retires?

It's certainly possible that this is the case, as Croy has established himself as one of the stronger basketball minds on the West Coast over the last decade and obviously has a well-established bond with Bennett after serving as an assistant under him at St. Mary's from 2010-13.

Arizona State Bench Remains Incomplete

Two coaches have now been hired to fill out Bennett's coaching staff, as Joe Rahon followed the longtime coach from Moraga to Tempe as well.

This likely leaves two or more vacancies that need to be filled - there are current staff members who are candidates, as well as LSU assistant David Patrick and potentially UCSB assistant Derek Glasser.

The most obvious holdovers on the current staff are Nick Irvin and Ty Amundsen. Irvin has been noted as a strong tactician and has a crucial positive relationship with center Massamba Diop, while Amundsen is a highly regarded former high school coach in Arizona, potentially giving the program recruiting advantages.

Glasser would be an interesting addition as well, namely due to the ASU alum being a close friend of NBA superstar James Harden. While potential financial implications involved with such a hire are simply speculative, adding the former Sun Devil point guard to the staff would be a high-upside one, and could set the stage for even more talented point guards lining up to play in Tempe.