Randy Bennett thrilled to be back home to lead Arizona State basketball

Randy Bennett is back in Tempe to lead Arizona State basketball, returning to his hometown after 25 years with Saint Mary’s. The 64-year-old said he turned down repeated opportunities to leave the Gaels for bigger programs, but the opening at ASU—arriving as Gonzaga departed the West Coast Conference—made it the right time to come home. Bennett guided Saint Mary’s to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and won WCC coach of the year seven times. At ASU, he faces a tougher Big 12, with six teams ranked in the AP Top 25 preseason poll. Bennett has rebuilt the roster mainly via the transfer portal, including Paulius Murauskas and Dillan Shaw from Saint Mary’s.