Rossini Provides Critical Update on ASU's Randy Bennett

Rossini Reveals Bennett Back in Office

Rossini revealed that Bennett has been back in his office at Weatherup Center for over a week at this point and wouldn't go so far as to label the first month of the new era a rough start.

"I wouldn't call it a tough start, a rough start," Rossini said. "It's an unusual start. You know, when you can't hit the ground running, maybe the way that you design a coaching transition. Good news is he's been back in the office for about a week and a half, hard at work on finalizing his staff. We got a really exciting coaching staff that's come together."

Bennett's pursuit of building an exceptional staff has paid off, as former Division I head coaches Rick Croy and David Patrick are now on staff, while Joe Rahon followed Bennett from St. Mary's to Tempe.

Croy's presence on staff arguably played a major role in his son, JRob, committing to ASU after previously pledging to Saint Mary's. This is a staff with real program-building experience, a defined track record as player developers, and a general alignment with Bennett's goals/views on roster building.

Coaching Staff Continuing To Take Shape

The early successes in building out the coaching staff seem to be a trend, as Rossini revealed that materializing hires will continue to excite the Sun Devil fanbase.

"There's two additions that were close on to the coaching staff that would be very, very exciting, one coach and one kind of off the court personnel that we're really excited to get on a campus hopefully next week."

Is there a possibility that former ASU point guard Derek Glasser is joining the staff? It remains to be seen, but that would be an addition; enthusiasm for it only lends more credence to enthusiasm for the 2026-27 campaign.

Work on Building Roster Breeding Optimism

It's no secret that Bennett is enthused to be reintegrated into the Valley and to meet fans, but roster-building is taking precedence for the time being - according directly to the source in Rossini.

"I know Coach Bennett is so fired up to be at ASU, it's really cool to see his enthusiasm for the opportunity, to see his excitement about joining Sun Devil Nation... First order of business is getting this team put together, and they're hard at work. And I know a few players have been announced. There's a few more that we've got... very, very excited with the early work that this group is putting in, and can't wait to talk about that some more."

Arizona State is still firmly in the process of acquiring former Saint Mary's forward Paulius Murauskas, and is having former Portland point guard Joel Foxwell in for a visit on Saturday. Adding both Murauskas and Foxwell would go a long way towards making a statement that the 2026-27 Sun Devils will be ready to compete in the thick of a Big 12 that will continue to be a daily gauntlet.

Arizona State has new life under Bennett, and the roster-building is already lending credence to the Sun Devils being a consistent competitor for years to come.