Mar 20, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; St. Mary's Gaels head coach Randy Bennett talk to the media before practice at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Arizona State Coaching Candidate Profile: Randy Bennett

Originally posted on Arizona State Sun Devils on SI
By Kevin Hicks | Last updated Mar 15, 2026 3:00 PM ET

TEMPE -- There's no doubt that Randy Bennett has been a hot topic in the Arizona State community over the last several weeks.

Bennett being tied to the potential opening isn't a development that came about in recent days - he's actually been linked for two-plus weeks to this point.

The seasoned veteran head coach of the Saint Mary's Gaels of the West Coast Conference has built the program from ground up - with the team ultimately squaring off with Gonzaga on a relatively even playing field on a consistent basis - the thought is that this may continue in a place that he has real potential to be comfortable at in Tempe.

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Arizona State on SI breaks down aspects of Bennett's potential fit with the program, what makes him a winner, and why his roster-building philosophy would have a chance to succeed below.

Local Ties Are Clear

Bennett is a native of Mesa and played at Mesa Community College under his father.

Would a reunion with the area in which his formative years were spent be enticing? The location, potential further commitment to resourcing the program, and the allure to build ASU into a prominent brand in the Big 12 all have to be attractive to a coach that might finally have the incentive to leave a longtime partnership, but time will tell in this area.

Bennett is Battle-tested Winner

Bennett turned St Mary's from an obscure mid-major into a regular participant in the NCAA tournament. He has coached in 18 tournament games in his career, proving to be ready to coach against some of the elites in the sport through that number.

The 63 year old has won 589 career games over 25 years, ultimately gaining the respect of the nation over the time period behind a very regimented approach to roster construction, in-game coaching, and culture building.

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Bennett simply seems to be an ideal fit for Arizona State - a correct fit at the right time feeling is in the air.

Bennett's Blueprint Similar to Hurley's in 2025-26

Bennett's regular aptitude to not only identify, but successfully recruit international players that make contributions for the St. Mary's program is uncanny.

Hurley's experiment with what has typically been something that has been utilized by Bennett and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd worked in many ways during the 17-16 season - imagine what Bennett could do with players such as Massamba Diop returning, as well as in future recruiting endeavors is tantalizing.