Gonzaga has decided on a coach to succeed Mark Few
Jan 12, 2019; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few against the San Francisco Dons during the first half at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
The Gonzaga Bulldogs officially have a succession plan in place for when head coach Mark Few retires.
In an appearance on the “College Hoops Today” podcast with Jon Rothstein, Few announced that assistant Brian Michaelson would become Gonzaga’s head coach whenever he decides to retire. Few clarified that he has no intention of retiring anytime soon, but wanted a plan in place for when it happens.
“Brian Michaelson will be the guy that takes over for me,” Few said. “That’s the great thing about Gonzaga. We always have the next guy up in line.”
Michaelson played for Few at Gonzaga from 2001 to 2005 and joined the school’s staff in 2008 as an administrative assistant. The 42-year-old became an assistant coach in 2013.
As Few noted, Gonzaga is a school that deeply values continuity. Few got the job as an assistant in 1999 when Dan Monson left, and Monson himself had been an assistant at the school before being promoted himself. Top assistant Tommy Lloyd had been designated as Few’s successor before he ultimately left to take the head coaching position at Arizona in 2021.
