There is a marquee matchup coming to Bridgestone Arena on Friday night, and it carries more weight than just Gonzaga vs. Kentucky. Mark Few, the face of Gonzaga basketball for a quarter century, sits at 749 career victories. One more, and he joins one of the sport’s most exclusive coaching clubs.
Few enters the game with a career record of 749-153, an absurd 83 percent winning rate. Even more ridiculous: he has won nearly 90 percent of his conference games. That dominance will be put to the test soon, as the Bulldogs prepare to leave the West Coast Conference for a more demanding league.
A Program Built on Consistency
Few’s track record almost defies belief. Gonzaga has won at least 26 games every season since 2011–12. The only reason the streak doesn’t start earlier is because the Bulldogs happened to “only” win 25 the year before. Since Few took the reins in 1999, Gonzaga has never finished with fewer than 20 wins. Not once.
The postseason resume is just as impressive. Few has taken Gonzaga to two Final Fours, most recently in 2021, and he has piled up regular-season and tournament titles at a rate that may never be replicated. Gonzaga has claimed 22 conference regular-season championships and 20 tournament crowns under his watch. He has been named conference Coach of the Year 14 times, and in 2017 he earned the AP National Coach of the Year honor.
Few’s Reach Goes Beyond Spokane
The 62-year-old Oregon native has also made his mark on the international stage. Few was part of the staff that brought home the bronze medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, and he helped Team USA win gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
He has climbed coaching milestones faster than almost anyone in the modern era. Few became the third-fastest coach to hit 500 wins, trailing only Adolph Rupp and Jerry Tarkanian. He repeated the feat at 600 wins as well.
In an era when successful coaches are constantly poached by bigger programs, Few has remained rooted in Spokane. He arrived in 1989 as a grad assistant, slid into an assistant role a year later, and finally became head coach in 1999. Through job offers, rumors, and shifting conferences, he never left.
The Players who Define the Few Era
Few has coached a long list of NBA talents, including Domantas Sabonis, Kelly Olynyk, Zach Collins, Rui Hachimura, and Chet Holmgren. Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, Andrew Nembhard, and Brandon Clarke all blossomed under his watch. And of course, Adam Morrison remains the highest draft pick in Gonzaga history.
Few has built Gonzaga into a brand. A destination. A place where top prospects know they can grow, win, and reach the pros.
Friday’s Matchup Adds Extra Intrigue
Gonzaga enters the Kentucky game at 7-1, looking to bounce back after a rough night in Las Vegas against Michigan. Kentucky, at 5-3 under Mark Pope, is still searching for rhythm. The environment, the history, the stakes, it all sets up a national showcase.
If the Bulldogs win, Few hits the 750-win milestone in a building that loves big-time basketball. If not, the chase moves back to Spokane, where Gonzaga hosts North Florida on Sunday.
The Bulldogs then have a short break before UCLA rolls into town on December 13. The nonconference slate finishes with Campbell and a road date at Oregon, followed by the start of conference play on December 28 at Pepperdine.
A Milestone Worth Savoring
Friday matters for both teams, but for basketball fans who appreciate longevity, loyalty, and winning at an almost impossible rate, watching Mark Few sit one victory away from 750 is something special. Coaches don’t stay in one spot for 35 years anymore. They don’t pile up 20-win seasons like clockwork. They don’t build mid-majors into national powers.
Few did.
And win No. 750 feels like another chapter in a career that still has many more to come.