SMC California Athletics

After four years on staff, including three as an assistant coach for Head Coach Randy Bennett, former Gael great Joe Rahon has been promoted to associate head coach prior to the start of the 2025-26 campaign. In his four seasons on Coach Randy Bennett's staff, Rahon has helped the Gaels to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths for the first time in program history. 
 
"Joe has been invaluable to our program during his time as a player and now as a coach," Bennett said. "Joe has a high basketball IQ and is well-respected within the locker room. This promotion is a testament to the hard work that he has put into coaching, development, and recruiting since returning to Saint Mary's."
 
Several Gaels showed huge improvements under Rahon's tutelage, including two-time WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis, and WCC Sixth Man of the Year Mikey Lewis. Former guards Tommy Kuhse and Logan Johnson each earned First Team All-Conference honors under Rahon's leadership.
 
Rahon spent those two seasons in Moraga after transferring from Boston College following his sophomore season. He immediately was slotted into the starting lineup, and with the one-two punch of Rahon and Emmett Naar, the Gaels suddenly had one of the strongest backcourts in program history.
 
Twice, Rahon was named First Team All-WCC, including as a senior, when he took home WCC Defensive Player of the Year honors. That made Rahon just the fourth-Gael in program history to win the award, and the first since Omar Samhan in 2010. He was also the conference's Newcomer of the Year in 2016, winning the award for the Gaels for the first time since Patty Mills did so in 2008.
 
Despite playing just two seasons at Saint Mary's, Rahon has his name all over the SMC record book, including an ninth-place ranking in career assists. He also posted the fourth-best career assists-per-game average (5.52) and his 1,293 minutes played during his junior campaign are the second most in Saint Mary's history.
 
Once his playing days as a Gael were over, Rahon headed to Europe to begin a professional career that spanned three seasons. He made his debut with Limburg United in Belgium before spending his final two seasons in Germany playing for the Fraport Skyliners.