Randy Bennett, the newly appointed head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils, has announced a strategic addition to his coaching roster: Joe Few, son of longtime Gonzaga rival Mark Few, will serve as a graduate assistant beginning in the 2026‑27 season.
Few’s basketball journey began at Gonzaga, where he played from the 2021‑22 through the 2024‑25 campaigns. During those years he faced Bennett’s Saint Mary’s teams repeatedly, gaining an intimate understanding of Bennett’s offensive schemes and defensive philosophies.
From Competition to Collaboration
Bennett’s move to Arizona State marks a significant shift after two decades at Saint Mary’s, where he led the program to multiple West Coast Conference titles and built a reputation for disciplined, perimeter‑oriented play. The transition also places him in direct competition with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, a program he once battled for conference supremacy.
The hiring underscores a broader narrative of former rivals finding common ground on the sidelines. Mark Few, who has steered Gonzaga since the 1999‑2000 season, remains a central figure in the West Coast Conference’s recent history, a conference where Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga contested twenty‑five seasons of play, producing three outright titles for Saint Mary’s and sharing four more.
Gonzaga’s dominance in the conference tournament — 19 championships in 25 years — contrasts with Saint Mary’s four victories in the remaining six tournaments, a balance that reflects the intense rivalry that now fuels a collaborative coaching relationship.
The Sun Devils will open their exhibition schedule on October 12, 2026, giving fans an early glimpse of how Bennett’s new staff, anchored by Few’s strategic acumen, might shape the team’s approach heading into the regular season.