Arizona State introduced its new men’s basketball coach, Randy Bennett, sort of.
The coach has yet to have an introductory press conference, and it has been nearly a month since he was hired. Bennett was dealing with a health issue upon his arrival in Arizona, which delayed the introduction, which was initially scheduled for March 25.
Advertisement
The school posted an in-house video on social media channels in which Bennett did a six-minute interview with Braiden Bell. That is the first anyone has heard from the newly appointed coach. The lack of an introductory press conference has raised questions throughout the fan base.
Bennett, 63, did not say exactly what the health issue was, but tried to assure enthusiasts he is ready to take on the task ahead of him.
“It got off to a crazy start,” Bennett said in the video. “I was so excited to be here and start this, and looking forward to the press conference, and then health-wise it got thrown off, threw us a curve ball, and thank goodness for Mayo Clinic, and so it got off to a different start.
Advertisement
“What I’m looking forward to is building this program into a program that has a lot of continuity and build where it is a power in the Big 12. There have been flashes, so I don’t ever want to diminish some other peoples’ work has been, but that’s what I think we can do, and that’s what I’m looking forward to. Get Sun Devil basketball back to the top.”
Bennett came to ASU from Saint Mary’s, where he spent 25 years, shaping that mid-major program into one of the top programs on the West Coast. He holds a record of 589-228 (.721) with a West Coast Conference mark of 304-99 (.754), with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a Sweet 16 showing in 2009-10. He is a seven-time West Coast Conference coach of the year. His teams have won seven regular-season titles and four conference tournaments.
In the interview, Bennett said he was perfectly happy in Moraga, California.
“This is the only place I would have left for,” said Bennett, a native of Mesa. “And it’s been that way. It was not a tough decision for me. It’s tough to leave Saint Mary’s, to have so much invested there, so many friends and family.”
Advertisement
He went on by saying that this is home.
“I want to say home, but it’s not only that,” Bennett said. “When I was coming through high school, this was a power. It’s my vision of what Arizona State basketball is. Arizona State was the team back then: Fat Lever, Byron Scott, Johnny Nash, Sam Williams, Alton Lister. Those are all five NBA guys. That’s what I grew up on.”
Bennett’s health issue came at a bad time, coinciding with the opening of the transfer portal. ASU lost most of its key players to the portal. Bennett had assembled a coaching staff, all of whom he had worked with previously. They were working while the coach was laid up.
The new coaching staff has added three players through the portal and has an incoming high school player who was previously committed to Saint Mary’s.
Advertisement
Bennett is optimistic.
“We’re going to fire a shot, great basketball job. We’re expecting to hit it running in year one,” he said. “We’re starting to build a team. I think you can expect a competitive team, a team that is playing in the NCAA Tournament, a team that’s trying to get where they’re playing for conference championships. It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely doable.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: New ASU basketball coach Randy Bennett talks about taking new job
