Saint Mary’s hires Mickey McConnell to replace coach Randy Bennett
The move to hire Mickey McConnell came shortly after Randy Bennett decided to leave Saint Mary’s after a 25-year run when he turned a moribund program into one of the most consistent winners in college basketball.
MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary’s promoted associate head coach Mickey McConnell to the head coaching job after Randy Bennett left to take the job at Arizona State. The move to hire McConnell came shortly after Bennett decided to leave Saint Mary’s after a 25-year run when he turned a moribund program into one of the most consistent winners in college basketball.
“This was a difficult decision after calling Saint Mary’s home for so long and building this program into a national contender each year,” Bennett said in a statement. “I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to lead Saint Mary’s and for all the special people in this community I’ve been able to work with over the years. This was truly my home away from home for so long and I will miss this place.
” McConnell, a former star player for the Gaels, will now have the task of keeping Saint Mary’s performing at a high level after spending the past seven seasons as an assistant on Bennett’s staff. Bennett took over a 2-27 team in 2001 and build it into a powerhouse in the West Coast Conference. Bennett won a school record 589 games in 25 seasons, leading the Gaels to 12 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including five straight to end his tenure.
Saint Mary’s had a . 750 win percentage over Bennett’s last 22 seasons for the fourth-best mark in all of college basketball in that span. “We have known for several years now that Mickey would be the perfect fit to lead our men’s basketball program and continue the success this program has achieved, while beginning a new and exciting era,” athletic director Mike Matoso said.