NCAA Basketball: 5 coaches who deserve a lifetime deal like Bill Self’s at Kansas

Randy Bennett, Saint Mary’s

One could fairly question what Randy Bennett’s career would look like if he didn’t have to operate in the same conference as Few every year. But he’s a Saint Mary’s lifer, or should be anyways, meaning the Gaels-Gonzaga rivalry can continue on for a long time.

Bennett is roughly the same age as Few and arrived on the scene at the same time, becoming the Saint Mary’s head coach in 2001. The Gaels went 9-20 in his first season, but hasn’t had a losing campaign since.

While having the disservice of Gonzaga in the conference has affected Saint Mary’s NCAA Tournament prospects, Bennett has still taken the Gaels to the Big Dance nine times in the past two decades. He’s only made it to the second weekend once, but that feels somewhat fluky (and his team could be good enough to do it again this year).

Every time a job in the Pac-12 has come open in recent years, Bennett’s name is always tossed around. He always stays in Moraga. He’s a little more than halfway through a 10-year extension that takes him through the 2026-27 season.

Bennett will be on the verge of his 65th birthday when that contract comes to an end. At some point, he may want to step away from the grind of college basketball, which has become more onerous as the transfer portal and NIL have exploded.

Virtually all of Saint Mary’s best years have happened with the program’s all-time wins leader in charge. He and his international pipeline should have carte blanche to keep the program going as long as he desires.