Randall William Bennett (born June 9, 1962) is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Saint Mary's College of California. He has led the team to several second-place finishes and nine NCAA tournament appearances, culminating in regular season conference championships in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2023 and 2024 as well as WCC tournament championships in 2010, 2012, 2019, and 2024.
 Bennett at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in January 2012 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Saint Mary's |
| Conference | WCC |
| Record | 542–217 (.714) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | June 9, 1962 Mesa, Arizona, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1980–1982 | Mesa CC |
| 1983–1985 | UC San Diego |
| Position(s) | Guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1985–1986 | San Diego (volunteer assistant) |
| 1986–1988 | Idaho (graduate assistant) |
| 1988–1996 | San Diego (assistant) |
| 1996–1999 | Pepperdine (assistant) |
| 1999–2001 | Saint Louis (assistant) |
| 2001–present | Saint Mary's |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 542–217 (.714) |
| Tournaments | 6–10 (NCAA Division I) 7–7 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 WCC tournament (2010, 2012, 2019, 2024) 5 WCC regular season (2011, 2012, 2016, 2023, 2024) | |
| Awards | |
| 6× WCC Coach of the Year (2008, 2011, 2016, 2022–2024) | |
Early life and college playing career
editBorn in Mesa, Arizona, Bennett graduated from Westwood High School in Mesa and began his collegiate career at Mesa Community College, playing under his father Tom from 1980 to 1982. Bennett then transferred to the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego).[1][2] As a senior in the 1984–85 season, Bennett averaged 7.0 points and 1.5 rebounds.[3] Bennett graduated from UC San Diego in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in biology.[2]
Coaching career
editWhile completing his degree at UC San Diego, Bennett began his coaching career in the 1985–86 season as an assistant coach at the University of San Diego under Hank Egan.[2] Bennett then coached at Idaho under Tim Floyd from 1986 to 1988.[1] After two seasons at Idaho, Bennett returned to the University of San Diego and rejoined Egan's staff as an assistant coach. In 1994, Brad Holland replaced Egan and retained Bennett, until Bennett left in 1996 to be assistant at Pepperdine under Lorenzo Romar.[2]
In 1999, Bennett followed Romar to Saint Louis.[4]
Bennett became a head coach for the first time in 2001 when Saint Mary's College of California hired him. Inheriting a team that won only two games the previous season, Bennett improved his team's win–loss totals every season until 2004–05, when Saint Mary's went 25–9 with a berth in the NCAA tournament.[2][1] Bennett has led Saint Mary's to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023 and National Invitation Tournament in 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2021.[2]
Given this success, Bennett has been linked to several coaching jobs in higher profile conferences in recent years, most recently at California, Oregon State, Oregon, and Utah of the Pac-12.[5][6][1]
Coach Bennett signed a ten year extension with Saint Mary's Gaels through 2026–27.[7]
Head coaching record
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Mary's Gaels (West Coast Conference) (2001–present) | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | Saint Mary's | 9–20 | 3–11 | 6th | |||||
| 2002–03 | Saint Mary's | 15–15 | 6–8 | 5th | |||||
| 2003–04 | Saint Mary's | 19–12 | 9–5 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2004–05 | Saint Mary's | 25–9 | 11–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2005–06 | Saint Mary's | 17–12 | 8–6 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2006–07 | Saint Mary's | 17–15 | 8–6 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2007–08 | Saint Mary's | 25–7 | 12–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2008–09 | Saint Mary's | 28–7 | 10–4 | 2nd | NIT quarterfinal | ||||
| 2009–10 | Saint Mary's | 28–6 | 11–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| 2010–11 | Saint Mary's | 25–9 | 11–3 | T–1st | NIT first round | ||||
| 2011–12 | Saint Mary's | 27–6 | 14–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2012–13 | Saint Mary's | 28–7 | 14–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2013–14 | Saint Mary's | 23–12 | 11–7 | 4th | NIT second round | ||||
| 2014–15 | Saint Mary's | 21–10 | 13–5 | T–2nd | NIT first round | ||||
| 2015–16 | Saint Mary's | 29–6 | 15–3 | T–1st | NIT quarterfinal | ||||
| 2016–17 | Saint Mary's | 29–5 | 16–2 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2017–18 | Saint Mary's | 30–6 | 16–2 | 2nd | NIT quarterfinal | ||||
| 2018–19 | Saint Mary's | 22–12 | 11–5 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2019–20 | Saint Mary's | 26–8 | 11–5 | T–3rd | Postseason not held | ||||
| 2020–21 | Saint Mary's | 14–10 | 4–6 | 7th | NIT first round | ||||
| 2021–22 | Saint Mary's | 26–8 | 12–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Saint Mary's | 27–8 | 14–2 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Saint Mary's | 26–8 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Saint Mary's | 10–3 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Saint Mary's: | 543–219 (.713) | 271–96 (.738) | |||||||
| Total: | 543–219 (.713) | ||||||||
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National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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References
edit- ^ a b c d Domingo, Oden (April 8, 2006). "Bennett's success puts name in rumor mill". Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Randy Bennett". Saint Mary's College of California. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- ^ "Final 1985 Men's Basketball Statistics Report – University of California, San Diego" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ Hallisy, Erin (Spring 2007). "Coach For Life". Saint Mary's Magazine. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008.
- ^ "The Cal coaching search: Is St. Mary's Randy Bennett the right fit?". April 3, 2008.
- ^ Bryant West. "Gaels' Randy Bennett isn't going anywhere". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
- ^ "Saint Mary's locks up Bennett to 10-year deal". November 10, 2017.