Valued Mid-major Coach to Leave Post for Arizona State

Randy Bennett has earned another major victory in his first week as the head coach of the Sun Devils.

Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Cal Baptist head coach Rick Croy speaks at a press conference ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

TEMPE -- Randy Bennett is set to enter day seven in the role of being head coach for the Arizona State men's basketball program - he's already earned another victory during the honeymoon phase.

One of the most pressing tasks a new head coach faces when taking on a program is building out a staff - this has been the case for Bennett over the last week, as the 63-year old has several potential routes he has the ability to take.

Mar 18, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Saint Mary's Gaels head coach Randy Bennett gives an interview prior to a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

It appears as if one of the first dominoes in building out a staff has fallen, as Jon Rothstein reported that a high-level mid major coach is making a transition from the main chair into an assistant role under Bennett in Tempe.

Bennett Makes Consequential Coaching Hire

Rick Croy - head coach at Cal Baptist since 2013 - has left his post after leading the Lancers to their first NCAA tournament this March.

Sources: "Arizona State’s Randy Bennett is hiring Cal Baptist head coach Rick Croy as Associate Head Coach."

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; California Baptist Lancers head coach Rick Croy looks on in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Croy hire is a major development for many reasons - the most obvious of which being that he will now be able to coach his son, JRob - who flipped his commitment from St. Mary's to ASU last Tuesday.

Croy was also an assistant under Bennett from 2010-13 before taking over Cal Baptist. This very possibly points to the notion that Bennett will prioritize extensive experience and familiarity over anything else in this process, which certainly isn't an unsatisfactory approach.

Dec 6, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; California Baptist Lancers head coach Rick Croy watches play against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

What Does Hire Mean for Remainder of Process?

It's likely safe to assume that Croy will be the associate head coach - Bennett's top assistant - which might throw a wrench in the cases for other coaches to land high-ranking positions.

It's still entirely possible that Nick Irvin and/or Ty Amundsen are retained on the staff, as both have provided unique positives over the last season(s) in Tempe. It also remains possible that UC Santa Barbara assistant Derek Glasser makes the return to Tempe, as he has familiarity with the program, is seen as a rising star in the coaching world, and is closely allied with James Harden - although this hiring might stall that idea.

Dec 21, 2021; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arena workers perform tasks after the game between Florida A&M and Arizona State was canceled due to power issues at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Ultimately, the dots very well can be connected to assume that Croy left his head coaching post to be the head coach in-waiting for the Sun Devils - a process that isn't unusual in the college basketball world. Regardless of what comes about in the future, the Sun Devils secured an absolute victory on Sunday night by bringing a rising star in the sport into the program.