SMC California Athletics

Entering his 25th season as the head coach at Saint Mary’s, 7-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year Randy Bennett has developed a program that has brought a level of excitement, expectation and competitiveness never before seen on the picturesque Moraga, Calif. campus. 

During his tenure, Bennett has become the school's men's basketball all-time wins leader (562 victories, going into 2025-26), guided SMC to 19 postseason appearances (12 NCAA and 7 NIT), currently 18 straight postseason appearances (Only Gonzaga, Michigan State, and Kansas have longer streaks), led the Gaels to their first post-season victories and had a player drafted (Patrick Mills, 2009) into the NBA for the first time since 1984. He has earned seven WCC Coach of the Year honors, including four in each of the last four seasons, and was named a USA Basketball assistant coach for the team that represented the USA at the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championships in Latvia.

2024-25 saw the Gaels earn a share of the WCC Regular Season Title for the fourth straight year, and make their fourth straight NCAA Tournament, both new program records. A 17-1 record in conference play was the best in program history for the Gaels, while 29 total wins was the most since the Gaels history 30 win 2017-18 campaign. The historic season saw four of Bennett's Student-Athletes named as WCC Superlative Award Winners, including Augustas Marciulionis and Mitchell Saxen being named player of the year and defensive players of the year respectively each for the second straight year. As a seven seed at the 2024-25 NCAA Tournament, the Gaels defeated Vanderbilt to move to the second round for the fifth time in Bennett's tenure. 

The recent run of success at Saint Mary's is among some of the best during his tenure in Moraga. In 2023-24, Saint Mary's made the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row as a No. 5 seed. This marked the first time they have made the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons, and they became the first true mid-major to be a No. 5 seed in three consecutive seasons since Memphis in 2006-09. They won 26 games on the season, including 16 straight from 12/29 to 2/29 (second longest in program history), and won both the WCC Regular Season and Tournament Title for the first time since 2012. Bennett was named a finalist for both the 2024 Hugh Durham (mid-major) and Jim Phelan (national) Coach of the Year Awards and earned his third consecutive WCC Coach of the Year and NABC District Nine Coach of the Year recognitions.

In 2022-23, Saint Mary's made the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row as a No. 5 seed. This marked just the second time they have made the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons (2012-13), the first time they've made it to the second round in consecutive seasons, and they became the first true mid-major to be a No. 5 seed in consecutive seasons since Saint Louis in 2013-14. They won 27 games on the season, including wins over eventual NCAA championship finalist San Diego State and a home win over Gonzaga, and won a share of the WCC Championship for the first time since the 2015-16 season. After guiding the team into the top-15 of the NCAA polls, Bennett was named a 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's Coach of the Year Late Season Watch List candidate and earned his second consecutive WCC Coach of the Year award.

Bennett earned his 500th victory as head coach of the Gaels on February 2, 2023 in a 68-59 win over San Francisco. The win made Bennett one of 25 coaches all-time to have reached 500 wins at one school, and the seventh-most among active coaches at one institution. 

In 2021-22, Saint Mary's went through one of the most successful seasons in recent memory. The Gaels finished the year a perfect 16-0 inside University Credit Union Pavilion, the first time in the history of their current home gym, and capped it off by beating No. 1-ranked Gonzaga on Senior Night 67-57. That win over Gonzaga marked just the second time in school history the Gaels beat the No. 1-ranked team in the country (2019 WCC Championship game, Gonzaga). Their success during the season led them to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their best seed for the tournament, and they won their sixth game all-time in the tournament by handing Indiana its worst loss in NCAA Tournament history. For the 18th time in the past 20 seasons, the Gaels reached the semifinals or better of the WCC Tournament and finished the year with a 26-8 record. Bennett was named the conference's Coach of the Year for the fourth time, and he coached four All-WCC players, including Tommy Kuhse, who was named the WCC's Sixth Man of the Year.

The Gaels were destined to make their third NCAA Tournament in four years in 2019 before the season came to a screeching halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Saint Mary's went 26-8 that season and reached the finals of the WCC Tournament for the fourth time in the past five years. SMC was ranked to begin the season and topped out at No. 18 in the AP poll after a neutral-site win over Wisconsin in the season opener.  

In 2018-19, Saint Mary's made their second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past three years as they secured a No. 11 seed and faced No. 6 Villanova, the defending national champions, in the first round in Hartford, Conn. The Gaels secured their spot in the tournament after achieving the greatest upset in the program's history as they defeated their archrival, No. 1 Gonzaga, in the WCC Championship game. It was the first time in school history that the Gaels had defeated a No. 1 overall team. 

Bennett won his 400th career game as head coach of the Gaels on Dec. 19 in Moraga as his team breezed through Bucknell, 85-56. At the time, Bennett became just one of eight active head coaches who posted all 400 or more wins at one school. 

In 2017-18, the Gaels broke another record, this time becoming the first 30-win team in program history. Bennett led SMC to a 30-6 overall record, and the program's second straight 16-2 record in league action. Saint Mary's advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT, and went ranked inside the top-25 AP and USA Today Coaches polls for another 10 weeks of the season. Saint Mary’s accomplished their highest-ever ranking during the 17-18 campaign, reaching No. 11 in the AP Poll during the first week of February. SMC also went on a 19-game win streak, making it the longest win streak of any team in Division I, and the longest win streak in program history. 

In potentially the most historic season in program history, the 2016-17 team tied the then program record of 29 wins. The Gaels also went 16-2 in WCC action, the most wins in conference play during a single season up to that point. Saint Mary's advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013 and went to the Round of 32. The Gaels defeated VCU in the Round of 64 before falling to No. 2-seed Arizona. Bennett led the Gaels to being nationally-ranked in both the AP and USA Today Coaches poll for every week during the season. The streak is the first time in school history the team was ranked in every week of the year. Saint Mary's was also ranked second in the entire nation in scoring defense. 

With the team's 29 wins in 2015-16, Bennett guided the Gaels to its ninth-straight 20-win season.  The team won a program-most 20 home games and posted a 15-game home win streak.  In addition to league coach of the year honors, he was named the District 9 Coach of the Year by the NABC - only the second coach in program history to earn the honor.  

During a six-year span from 2008-2013, SMC won 25 or more games to join only four programs nationally (Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Saint Mary's) to have achieved that feat.  

Bennett has led his teams to the postseason 17 times, with 10 NCAA Tournament appearances (2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023) and the school's first NIT appearances (2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2021). No other SMC coach has guided his squad to more than one postseason appearance.

After tying the then-school record for wins in 2004-05 and 2007-08, his 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2012-13 teams set a new mark with 28 victories, including the program's first post-season wins since 1959.  In 2010, Bennett led the Gaels to a Sweet 16 finish with wins over Richmond and Villanova, marking the school's first NCAA Tournament wins in 51 years.

In addition to team accomplishments, Bennett has had 28 different players earn All-WCC recognition, with a total of 39 First team and nine Honorable Mention selections. In 2011, Mickey McConnell, a two-time all-WCC selection, was named the WCC Player of the Year - SMC's sixth ever and first since 1999. In 2018, big man Jock Landale was also named the WCC Player of the Year to become the seventh Gael in program history to win the honor. 

Landale had one of the most historic seasons to remember, as the Aussie became the first Gael named an AP All-American First or Second Team member after averaging 21.1 points and 10.2 rebounds his senior campaign.

In 2017, Jock Landale was named the first Gael to be in the top-5 for the Kareem Abdul Jabaar award. The center was an AP Honorable Mention and member of the WCC First Team after averaging 16.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

In 2012, Matthew Dellavedova gave the Gaels the first back-to-back WCC players of the year since 1962.  He also became the school's first-ever male first-team Academic All-America selection and was among five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's best point guard. He earned all-WCC honors three times and twice was a honorable mention All-America selection.

After going undrafted as a senior in 2013, he earned a spot on the Cleveland Cavaliers 15-man roster.  In 2015, he played in the NBA's Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend and played a significant role in helping the Cavaliers advance to the NBA Finals.

Additionally, Bennett has guided six players to WCC Defensive Player of the Year awards: Anthony Woodards (2003), Diamon Simpson (2008 and 2009), Omar Samhan (2010), Joe Rahon (2017), and Logan Johnson (2023). Patrick Mills was selected as the 2008 WCC Newcomer of the Year. 

Bennett became the college's winningest coach when the Gaels defeated East Tennessee State in the semifinals of the Rainbow Classic on December 21, 2007, passing James Weaver (110-67), who held the record for 47 years.

Bennett became just the fourth head coach in school history to lead SMC to the NCAA Tournament when the Gaels garnered a No. 10 seed in 2005. In 2008, he became the only coach in the program's history to guide two teams to the NCAA Tournament when the Gaels again earned a 10-seed.  In 2012, the Gaels earned a program-best number seven seed in the NCAA Tournament. The 2016-17 squad tied the program-best number seven seed in the NCAA Tournament. That seed was bested in 2022 when the Gaels were a number five seed in the NCAA Tournament, and they matched that mark in 2023.

In addition to being tough against WCC opponents, Bennett's Gaels are even tougher at home. In the last 22 years, SMC has a 302-62 (.830) in UCU Pavilion, which includes a 182-26 (.875) mark over the last 12 seasons. He has led SMC to at least the semifinals of the WCC Tournament in 20 of his 22 seasons, which include WCC Tournament final appearances in 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. The 2010 team won the school's first WCC Tournament since 1997 and the 2012 squad gave the Gaels both the regular-season and tournament titles in the same season. 

Under Bennett's tutelage, the Gaels have posted 10 second place finishes in the WCC (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2022) and won the 2011, 2016, & 2023 regular-season co-championships and the 2012 outright title.

Combined with his 22 years as the head coach at SMC, Bennett has nearly 40 years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level. After serving as an assistant coach for 16 years at San Diego (1985-96), Pepperdine (1996-99) and Saint Louis (1999-01),

Bennett was hired as the 27th head coach at Saint Mary's in April 10, 2001. His tremendous wealth of knowledge and coaching expertise helped SMC to its first NCAA tournament berth in nine years and he was rewarded with a new six-year contract in April of 2005.  In the fall of 2011, he signed a new 10-year contract.

Prior to Saint Mary's, Bennett was the top assistant at Saint Louis University for two years under Lorenzo Romar. Taking over after a season in which the Billikens were sub .500, Romar and Bennett coached Saint Louis to an NCAA Tournament berth after winning the Conference USA Tournament with four consecutive wins in four consecutive days, holding all opponents under 60 points. Saint Louis was the first team in NCAA history to accomplish this feat. Included was an upset of then-no. 1 ranked Cincinnati.

Bennett's on-court duties at Saint Louis included coordinating the conference-best field goal defense, working daily with individual players and teaching team concepts. Off the court, Bennett served as the program's recruiting coordinator, organized practice schedules, and scouting.

Before working with Romar at Saint Louis, Bennett was also his top assistant at Pepperdine University from 1996-99, where he helped rebuild the Waves' program. The 11-win turnaround following the 1996-97 season was the second biggest improvement in the nation from the year prior. Two years after taking over a program that finished last in the WCC, the Waves finished second in 1998 and 1999 and advanced to the NIT following a 19-12 finish to the 1998-99 regular season. As recruiting coordinator at Pepperdine, Bennett helped attract a top-20 nationally-ranked class in 2007, which included talented players such as 2001 all-WCC honorees Kelvin Gibbs, Cal transfer Jelani Gardner and Arizona State transfer Tommie Prince. In 1998, Bennett coordinated the successful recruitment of 2001 all-WCC honoree Brandon Armstrong out of Vallejo High School. Armstrong went on to be the first WCC player to be drafted in the first round since Steve Nash and the first player since Dennis Johnson to depart school early to go to the NBA. He was also responsible for coordinating the program's defense, which was ranked no. 1 in the WCC in 1997 and 1998. Bennett worked with individual players on a daily basis, teaching team concepts and coordinating and evaluating practices.

Bennett began his coaching career with a one-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of San Diego. He then moved to the University of Idaho for two-years, before returning to San Diego for another eight seasons as the Toreros top assistant. Bennett started at San Diego under Hank Egan before returning as an assistant coach for Brad Holland. During his time at San Diego, the Toreros amassed a 122-102 (.598) overall record. Bennett served as recruiting coordinator for the Toreros and worked daily with individual players, taught team concepts, coordinated and executed practice and assisted with the coordination of the preseason conditioning program. In his two-year stint at Idaho, Bennett worked under former Chicago Bulls and USC Trojans head coach Tim Floyd from 1987-88. The Vandals finished the 1988 season 19-11 and placed second in the Big Sky Conference.

Bennett earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of California at San Diego in 1986, where he played basketball from 1983-85 and served as team captain. Prior to UCSD he attended Mesa Community College in Mesa, Ariz., where he played basketball for his father from 1980-82. At Mesa, Bennett helped his team to a 31-4 record and an Arizona Junior College championship and no. 10 national ranking in the 1980-81 season. In the 1981-82 season Bennett was the team captain and led the team to a 25-6 record and second-straight Arizona Junior College championship. Randy married Darlene (Darby) in April of 1998. They have two sons.