Randy Bennett officially introduced as Sun Devil men's basketball head coach

TEMPE- What’s delayed is not denied. 

Randy Bennett was officially introduced as the next head coach of the Arizona State men’s basketball program, nearly seven weeks after his original introductory press conference was postponed due to health issues. 

"Thank God for Mayo Clinic... for two weeks I wasn't in the office,” Bennett said Thursday. “It through me off a little bit. The last thing I needed to be doing at that time was stressing about the portal or the job, thanks to the (ASU basketball staff). But now I feel like I'm catching my stride."

Bennett spent the last 25 years coaching at St. Mary's, where the program became one of the nation's most consistent programs.

When athletic director Graham Rossini walked to the podium in front of the audience, he said Bennett was the name at the top of his list when searching for the next head coach of the Arizona State men’s basketball team.

Bennett himself was impressed with Rossini's contributions he has made to the Sun Devil athletics since taking over.

"Two things jump right to the front of my mind on the ground are guys remarkably gifted as a speaker," Bennett said of Rossini in a scrum.

"He's got an incredible memory. ... He'll remember every person's name, and the way he leads his athletic program is very team-oriented, and it's the same way he wants his sports teams. He's pretty true to his philosophy on that. And actually, that's why he looks my way, as far as this job."

Since taking over the Arizona State athletics program in 2024, Rossini has contributed and brought in notable coaches to build a winning culture in their program.

Notable names include Kenny Dillingham, who recently signed a five-year contract extension for football, Molly Miller for women's basketball, and Jamea Jackson for women's tennis.

"I mean, the coaches are the most important decisions that we make in our department," Rossini said. "Who are the people leading our athletes every single day, building strategy within our programs, I value a winning track record, most importantly, somebody who's won consistently.

"I'm learning that the level is important, but the consistent nature of winning really rings true. And somebody like Coach (Randy) Bennett, who for 25 years has won at a very high level, has adapted to the changes in the sport, has proven that he understands how to lead young people, and arguably his best last five years (of his coaching career). And so his trend line continues to increase, as ours does as a department, and so obviously his experience as a coach was very attractive."

Bennett credits his coaching staff for their contributions in the transfer portal, which includes three associate head coaches: Joe Rahon, Rick Croy, and David Patrick.

The Sun Devils men's basketball program is focused on taking the next step toward their goals, starting with winning games and fostering strong, lasting relationships both on and off the court.

“They carried me for the first two weeks of this job,” Bennett said of his coaching staff. “I didn’t come into the office until the day before the portal opened.”