ASU Assistant Staff Brings This Key Advantage

TEMPE -- One of the hallmarks in the early stages of the Randy Bennett era at Arizona State has been that the 18th head coach in the history of ASU men's basketball has been steadfast in building the Sun Devils in the exact manner that he sees fit.

Part of this vision has extended to the coaching staff, as he has officially hired four assistants to his bench, all with extensive experience in the field and familiarity with him from previous connections.

Connor Smith (Arizona State Athletics) curated some eye-opening stats about the staff Bennett has constructed - further contextualizing what was already known to some extent.

Those numbers put a jarring amount of perspective into the frame, but don't even truly do justice to how meaningful they will be over the course of the upcoming season.

Continuity Will Serve Sun Devils Well

David Patrick (formerly of Louisiana State) spoke with Arizona State on SI following Bennett's introductory press conference last Thursday, noting that the interconnected nature of the staff has made it easier for them to work together, and that the environment is incredibly collaborative, without any contention.

The least experienced coach on the staff (E.J. Rowland) played for Bennett at St. Mary's and spent 20 years playing professionally before coaching for the Gaels over the last two years. Rick Croy, Patrick, and Joe Rahon served as assistants under Bennett at various points as well, which speaks to how highly the group thinks of the 63-year-old leader.

Recruiting Will be Key

Bennett has labeled Patrick the "best recruiter in the country," and this hypothesis was tested during the former sitting on the sideline a bit while working through a health scare. Patrick, Croy, and the others were instrumental in the roster-construction strategy during that time, with Patrick in particular playing an integral role in bringing Portland transfer Joel Foxwell to Tempe.

One of the major separators between Arizona State's staff and others is the sheer proficiency in identifying elite talent overseas, particularly in Australia. Arizona's program under Tommy Lloyd and Mark Few's Gonzaga Bulldogs are perhaps the only two that approximate the Sun Devils in that territory.

Roughly six months remain until the Sun Devils open up the 2026-27 season, but there's little doubt in the lead-up that Bennett found the right group to bring the program into a new era. Arizona State is a sleeper team to watch out of the Big 12.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow