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Arizona State is bringing in Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett to succeed Bobby Hurley.

March 24, 2026

Arizona State Finds New Men’s Basketball Coach

Arizona State University has selected Randy Bennett, the head coach at St. Mary’s University, to take the reins of their men’s basketball program.

Bennett’s contract spans five years, and he notified his current team of his decision to leave during a meeting on Monday. Reports indicate that he felt this opportunity was worth pursuing.

In a statement, Bennett mentioned that “sometimes it takes special circumstances to leave St. Mary’s,” and it seems ASU is one of those circumstances. He expressed enthusiasm about joining the Sun Devils, noting he grew up watching the program and is ready to take on the challenges ahead. He emphasized, “We are in the nation’s best basketball conference and I look forward to meeting those who want to help our program succeed.”

During his impressive 25-season tenure at St. Mary’s, Bennett guided the team to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and led them to four consecutive WCC regular-season championships. However, the Gaels had a setback this year, losing in the first round of March Madness to Texas A&M.

One notable highlight for Bennett and the Gaels came in 2010 when they reached the Sweet 16 after defeating the second-seeded Villanova. Bennett’s leadership has positioned St. Mary’s as a strong mid-major program, especially impressive considering that the year before he took over, the team won only two games. In fact, he achieved at least 20 wins in 18 of the past 19 seasons.

Born in Mesa, Arizona, Bennett has strong connections to the Tempe area, with his father being an accomplished high school coach and later serving for 19 seasons at Mesa Community College.

This hiring comes after Arizona State chose not to renew Bobby Hurley’s contract following a loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament. Hurley spent 11 seasons at ASU, leading the team to three NCAA tournaments during his tenure.

Athletic Director Graham Rossini acknowledged Hurley’s significant contributions to basketball, reflecting on the memorable moments from his coaching period.