Former Gonzaga star, rival coach to present Mark Few at Hall of Fame induction

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few, alongside the rest of the class of 2026, will be officially enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next month.

Few was inducted in his second year on the ballot, joining a class that includes Doc Rivers, Amar’e Stoudemire, Candace Parker, Elene Della Donne, and Joey Crawford, among others. The longtime Zags head coach joins an exclusive group of active head coaches inducted into the HOF, a list that includes St. John’s Rick Pitino, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, and Kansas’ Bill Self.

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On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame announced which previous inductees will present the members of the 2026 class. Few will be presented by the only other Gonzaga inductee, John Stockton, as well as current Arkansas head coach John Calipari and former Duke star and managing director of the USA men’s basketball national team, Grant Hill.

Zag connection

Gonzaga alum and NBA legend John Stockton in attendance during the Zags’ Nov. 3, 2023, exhibition game against Lewis-Clark State. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Although Few and Stockton were never at Gonzaga at the same time, the two share their love of Spokane and the Zag basketball community. Stockton starred at GU from 1980-1984, averaging an outstanding 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 3.9 steals as a senior before being selected No. 16 overall in the NBA draft by the Utah Jazz.

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Stocks then spent 19 years in Salt Lake City, finishing his illustrious career with 10 All-Star Game appearances and 11 All-NBA nods, while setting the NBA’s all-time record in assists and steals.

He was named one of the 50 greatest NBA players in 1997 – while still an active player – and was on the 75th anniversary team in 2022 as well.

Stockton’s son, David, played for coach Few from 2010-2014, averaging 4.8 points and 3.1 assists in 138 games before going on to a lengthy pro career.

Coaching rivals

Nov 20, 2022; Spokane, Washington, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari, left, shakes hands with…

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Publish date : 2026-07-15 18:44:00

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