The college basketball coaching carousel is quickly spinning as the NCAA Tournament gears up for the Sweet 16.
Arizona State decided not to bring back head coach Bobby Hurley after missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. Now, the Sun Devils have agreed to hire former Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett, with Trilly Donovan first on the report. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello added that it is a five-year deal for Bennett.
Sources: Saint Mary's head coach Randy Bennett has agreed to become the next head coach at Arizona State.
— Trilly Donovan (@trillydonovan) March 23, 2026
Hurley spent 11 seasons as Arizona State’s head coach, finishing with a 185-167 record with three NCAA Tournament trips.
Bennett, who has been the Saint Mary’s head coach since the 2001-02 season, has a 589-228 record and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including five in a row.
Arizona State made it official shortly after.
The new era of Sun Devil Men's Basketball is here! We are excited to welcome Randy Bennett as our new head basketball coach 🔱
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) March 23, 2026
📰: https://t.co/PaSODWIFH2#ForksUp /// #ActivateTheValley pic.twitter.com/KjReRqFvgu
Bennett has been a hot commodity for quite some time, and he turned down the UNLV job in 2016 while gaining plenty of interest elsewhere during his time at Saint Mary’s.
After Saint Mary’s lost to Texas A&M in the Round of 64, all signs pointed to Bennett leaving, especially with Gonzaga leaving the West Coast Conference to join the revamped Pac-12, which is a big loss for the other WCC programs.
So, not even a week after an NCAA Tournament loss, Bennett is headed to Arizona State to be the new head coach in Tempe.
