Gonzaga's Mark Few snubbed from Basketball Hall of Fame induction

Few's name wasn't mentioned among the monumental figures of the sport who will be inducted into the Class of 2025, further delaying what many who know and are close to Few understand is an inevitable outcome of such a legendary coaching career. Whenever the Hall does indeed come calling, it'll feel long overdue. Gonzaga would not be a household name in the college basketball world without the foresight, patience and commitment that's been required over the last three decades from Few, who's accumulated over 700 career wins and has never missed the NCAA Tournament as a head coach.

And the rest of his résumé? Just 14 WCC Coach of the Year awards, two Naismith Coach of the Year honors, one Associated Press Coach of the Year award, the highest winning percentage of any active Division I head coach and the most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances to start a coaching career. A whopping 44 wins in the NCAA Tournament, which ranks fourth among active coaches, including two Final Fours, five Elite Eights and 13 Sweet 16 appearances. Plus 22 West Coast Conference regular season league titles and 20 conference tournament championships.

Oh, and an Olympic ring, which he earned for his part as an assistant coach with the Team USA squad that took home the gold at the Paris Games.

"He's obviously in the Hall of Fame with just, what he's done with this program and just creating a high level of expectation," said Grant Hill, managing director of the USA Men's National Team and member of the Hall of Fame's 2018 class, after presenting Few his Olympic Ring on Feb. 13. "Not just within the Gonzaga community, but really the whole college basketball ecosystem. And so that speaks for itself."

Not only has Few authored one of the greatest stories in American sports, he's done so at his own pace. His work-life balance consists of fly-fishing trips and pickleball games, along with family time, of course, when he's not occupied with his commitments to USA Basketball or the Zags.

Few and his wife, Marcy, have been involved in the Spokane community through their work with Coaches vs. Cancer, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities and advocacy programs. Since the Fews’ initiated the Spokane branch in 2002, it has quietly become one of the largest Coaches vs. Cancer fundraisers in the country.

"He's a Hall of Fame human being," Hill said. "Just an incredible man, the integrity, how he lives his life. The respect he gives and the respect he receives from everyone. I'm actually kind of surprised he's not already in the Hall of Fame."

No one has a real answer as to why there isn't a bust of Few already on the walls of the Hall, though even if such an explanation existed, it wouldn't really matter anyway. His spot in basketball immortality has been secured for some time now, and while his competitive spirit remains as fiery as ever after tasting gold in Paris, his love of the process and preparing his players to be better people both on and off the court won't get in the way of any outcome-based result — including the drive to win a national championship.

"Mark is a Hall of Famer," Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson said of Few prior to their second-round matchup in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. "Not just Hall of Fame coach. He's a Hall of Fame everything: Father, husband, friend. He's one of those guys that makes our profession look good."

"I've had a great life. I'm fine," Few said with a laugh in response to the question asked at the beginning of this story. "You get hooked on winning. You want to win everything. You want to win at everything you do. But, you know, I think coaching is about getting your team prepared and being ready for them to play the best and each individual player achieving their highest potential. Not only individually to move them on from Gonzaga, because I think that's really important, but just also, you know, for our teams. Then you just let the chips fall where they may, you know."

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