Would Randy Bennett have left Saint Mary’s if Gaels went to Pac-12?

Some questions simply have to be asked. Whether they get answered is a separate matter, but they have to be brought up. For Saint Mary’s basketball, the question looms after longtime coach Randy Bennett left for Arizona State: Would the Gaels have lost their elite coach if SMC had been invited to the Pac-12 alongside rival Gonzaga?

Low ceiling

Saint Mary’s keeps hitting its head on a low ceiling in the West Coast Conference. The Gaels were very rarely anything more than a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They occasionally were seeded higher but usually fell into the 7-10 seed range in March Madness. They have been very successful at making the NCAA Tournament, not nearly as successful in making deep runs. WCC basketball limits how high a team such as Saint Mary’s can climb.

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The Gonzaga difference

Gonzaga plays monster nonconference schedules. When the Zags win games against top national opponents, they earn a high seed in March. This is where Gonzaga has separated itself from Saint Mary’s over time.

Gonzaga leaves for Pac-12

Gonzaga decided to pack its bags for the new Pac-12, leaving behind Saint Mary’s and the other WCC schools. Randy Bennett won’t have his longtime rival to coach against — not three times a year, at least. The two teams could schedule a nonconference game, but it won’t be the same. They won’t fight or chase each other in the conference standings.

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Empty feeling

What competitive thrill would Randy Bennett get from winning a West Coast Conference which no longer has Gonzaga? It’s hard to shake the feeling that this — more than the Arizona State job specifically — led him to leave Saint Mary’s after a very lengthy tenure.

Cal

Bennett could have made a run at the open California job a few years ago, but he didn’t bite. Why? It obviously wasn’t enough of a lure for him. What would make that the case? The annual challenge of going against Mark Few and Gonzaga had to rate as a good reason.

Arizona State-Arizona rivalry

Guess whom Randy…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/randy-bennett-left-saint-marys-180249222.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-24 18:02:00

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