Randy Bennett

For other people named Randy Bennett, see Randy Bennett (disambiguation).

Randall William Bennett (born June 9, 1962) is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Saint Mary's College of California. He has led the team nine NCAA tournament appearances, regular season conference championships in 2011, 2012, 2016, 2023, 2024, and 2025 as well as WCC tournament championships in 2010, 2012, 2019, and 2024.

Randy Bennett

Bennett at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in January 2012
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Saint Mary's
Conference	WCC
Record	562–222 (.717)
Biographical details
Born	(1962-06-09) June 9, 1962 (age 63) Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
Playing career
1980–1982	Mesa CC
1983–1985	UC San Diego
Position(s)	Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1985–1986	San Diego (volunteer assistant)
1986–1988	Idaho (graduate assistant)
1988–1996	San Diego (assistant)
1996–1999	Pepperdine (assistant)
1999–2001	Saint Louis (assistant)
2001–present	Saint Mary's
Head coaching record
Overall	562–222 (.717)
Tournaments	7–11 (NCAA Division I) 7–7 (NIT)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4 WCC tournament (2010, 2012, 2019, 2024) 6 WCC regular season (2011, 2012, 2016, 2023–2025)
Awards
7× WCC Coach of the Year (2008, 2011, 2016, 2022–2025)

Early life and college playing career

Born in Mesa, Arizona, Bennett graduated from Westwood High School in Mesa and began his collegiate career at Mesa Community College, playing under his father Tom from 1980 to 1982. Bennett then transferred to the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego).^[1][2] As a senior in the 1984–85 season, Bennett averaged 7.0 points and 1.5 rebounds.^[3] Bennett graduated from UC San Diego in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in biology.^[2]

Coaching career

While completing his degree at UC San Diego, Bennett began his coaching career in the 1985–86 season as an assistant coach at the University of San Diego under Hank Egan.^[2] Bennett then coached at Idaho under Tim Floyd from 1986 to 1988.^[1] After two seasons at Idaho, Bennett returned to the University of San Diego and rejoined Egan's staff as an assistant coach. In 1994, Brad Holland replaced Egan and retained Bennett, until Bennett left in 1996 to be assistant at Pepperdine under Lorenzo Romar.^[2]

In 1999, Bennett followed Romar to Saint Louis.^[4]

Bennett became a head coach for the first time in 2001 when Saint Mary's College of California hired him. Inheriting a team that won only two games the previous season, Bennett improved his team's win–loss totals every season until 2004–05, when Saint Mary's went 25–9 with a berth in the NCAA tournament.^[2][1] Bennett has led Saint Mary's to the NCAA Tournament in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and National Invitation Tournament in 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2021.^[2]

Given this success, Bennett has been linked to several coaching jobs in higher profile conferences in recent years, most recently at California, Oregon State, Oregon, and Utah of the Pac-12.^[5][6][1]

Coach Bennett signed a ten year extension with Saint Mary's Gaels through 2026–27.^[7]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Saint Mary's Gaels (West Coast Conference) (2001–present)
2001–02	Saint Mary's	9–20	3–11	6th
2002–03	Saint Mary's	15–15	6–8	5th
2003–04	Saint Mary's	19–12	9–5	T–2nd
2004–05	Saint Mary's	25–9	11–3	2nd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2005–06	Saint Mary's	17–12	8–6	T–2nd
2006–07	Saint Mary's	17–15	8–6	T–3rd
2007–08	Saint Mary's	25–7	12–2	2nd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2008–09	Saint Mary's	28–7	10–4	2nd	NIT quarterfinal
2009–10	Saint Mary's	28–6	11–3	2nd	NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2010–11	Saint Mary's	25–9	11–3	T–1st	NIT first round
2011–12	Saint Mary's	27–6	14–2	1st	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2012–13	Saint Mary's	28–7	14–2	2nd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2013–14	Saint Mary's	23–12	11–7	4th	NIT second round
2014–15	Saint Mary's	21–10	13–5	T–2nd	NIT first round
2015–16	Saint Mary's	29–6	15–3	T–1st	NIT quarterfinal
2016–17	Saint Mary's	29–5	16–2	2nd	NCAA Division I Round of 32
2017–18	Saint Mary's	30–6	16–2	2nd	NIT quarterfinal
2018–19	Saint Mary's	22–12	11–5	T–2nd	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2019–20	Saint Mary's	26–8	11–5	T–3rd	Postseason not held
2020–21	Saint Mary's	14–10	4–6	7th	NIT first round
2021–22	Saint Mary's	26–8	12–3	2nd	NCAA Division I Round of 32
2022–23	Saint Mary's	27–8	14–2	T–1st	NCAA Division I Round of 32
2023–24	Saint Mary's	26–8	15–1	1st	NCAA Division I Round of 64
2024–25	Saint Mary's	29–6	17–1	1st	NCAA Division I Round of 32
Saint Mary's:		562–222 (.717)	288–97 (.748)
Total:		562–222 (.717)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion