
There appears to be a situation brewing in the desert regarding the new Arizona State Sun Devils head men's basketball coach, Randy Bennett.
It was reported on March 23 that the Sun Devils were hiring Bennett, 63, to replace longtime head coach Bobby Hurley.
The Sun Devils chose to part ways with Hurley after 11 seasons. He had not taken ASU to the NCAA Tournament since 2023, and even then, the Sun Devils were bounced in the first round.
Bennett appears to be a tremendous hire for Arizona State after he spent the last 25 seasons at Saint Mary's, but there has been a hitch in the plan.
The veteran head coach has yet to do a news conference at Arizona State. There was one scheduled, but that got postponed because of a health issue.
Today's previously scheduled press conference has been postponed. Our plan is to reschedule for next week and we will share those details once finalized. pic.twitter.com/HN0VJp3Hje
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) March 25, 2026
On Monday, Bennett released a statement on the matter.
"Last week, when I arrived in Arizona, a health situation surfaced that I'm working through right now," Bennett said in a statement, per ESPN. "I'm in good hands, we feel good about the plan, and I'm incredibly appreciative of the care I've received from the team at Mayo Clinic. Everything is under control, and I will be back at full strength very soon."
While Bennett has not yet spoken to the media, he has been working on finalizing his staff.
He recently added Cal Baptist University head coach Rick Croy as an associate head coach. Croy just led the Lancers to the NCAA Tournament and their first-ever Western Athletic Conference tournament title.
Joe Rahon will also be following Bennett from Saint Mary's. He spent the past five seasons under Bennett as an assistant and associate head coach at Saint Mary’s.
Despite the setback, Bennett wants ASU fans to know that the Sun Devils' men's basketball program is still chugging along full speed.
"What I want people to know is that nothing about our momentum has changed," Bennett said. "We are moving forward and I am excited to announce two of our associate head coaches, a duo I have a ton of trust in and who truly want to be at ASU. They both bring great experience, strong relationships, and real energy as our program continues to grow."
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