5 coaching candidates Gonzaga could consider to replace Jorge Sanz

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have a hole on the coaching staff after longtime assistant Jorge Sanz announced he is leaving the program on Thursday.

Sanz is reportedly headed to North Carolina to join coach Michael Malone's staff, and his experience recruiting internationally, building a non-conference schedule, and in basketball analytics will be difficult for Gonzaga to replace with 3.5 months until the 2026-27 season gets underway.

Gonzaga historically likes to keep things in the family, with three of their four current assistant coaches - Brian Michaelson, Stephen Gentry, and Zach Norvell Jr - all having played for coach Few at Gonzaga. That is a trend that could continue - with many former players actively in the coaching ranks - but it also makes sense for the staff to bring in 'fresh' eyes.

Whether they go with a familiar face or not, the big priority for the Zags is finding someone with experience recruiting internationally following Sanz's departure.

Below is a look at five candidates Gonzaga could pursue to replace Sanz in Spokane:

Wayne Tinkle, Former Head Coach, Oregon State Beavers

Feb 7, 2026; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers head coach Wayne Tinkle greets Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tinkle was let go after a 12-year stint as the head coach of the Oregon State Beavers back in March, coaching his final game in a WCC Tournament loss to Gonzaga. Now the 60-year-old veteran could end up on the other sideline, with strong connections to Spokane and Gonzaga that make him an easy fit with the Zags.

Tinkle went to Ferris High School in Spokane in the early 1980's, before playing four years at Montana and then embarking on an 11-year pro career that took him all over the world.

He returned to Montana and coached with the Grizz for five years as an assistant and eight years as the head coach, winning Big Sky Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013 and making the NCAA Tournament three different times.

He took over at Oregon State in 2014 and led the Beavers to the Big Dance in 2016 and again in 2021, which ended up being a shocking run to the Elite Eight as a No. 11 seed.

However, he went a paltry 3-28 the following year and never quite regained his footing at OSU in the NIL era. Still, his lengthy experience as a 'players' coach and ties to the region - his daughter Elle played five years at Gonzaga and is married to former Zag Jeremy Jones - make him an obvious fit on the end of GU's bench.

Plus, Tinkle did a lot of international recruiting in his last few years in Corvallis, notably landing star players Michael Rataj (Germany), Liutauras Lelevicius (Lithuania), Isaiah Sy (France), Johan Munch (Denmark), and Maxim Logue (France).

Eric McClellan, Graduate Assistant, Florida Atlantic Owls

Mar 19, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Eric McClellan (23) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McClellan is currently the Director of Player Development at Florida Atlantic, coaching under former Zag director of operations John Jakus. McClellan played at Gonzaga from 2014-2016, earning WCC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior while helping the team to a miracle Sweet 16 run as a No. 11 seed.

Mac then went on to a lengthy, well-travelled professional career, taking him to eight different countries - Mexico, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Lithuania, Belgium, and Austria - giving him an outstanding number of in-roads internationally.

While he hasn't been on a coaching staff for very long, starting at FAU in 2024, his rich experience internationally and working for a program that has recruited well overseas - with players from Belgium, France, Senegal, Italy, Germany, and Canada on FAU's 2025-26 roster - make him an appealing option for the Zags.

Bryce Douglas, Assistant Coach, Seattle Redhawks

Douglas has been at Seattle University for the past three seasons, his first time serving in an official college coaching capacity.

However, his extensive experience as a special assistant, scout, and video analyst makes him a very strong candidate to join the Zags in Spokane. Douglas spent six seasons on staff in the SEC at both Georgia and Florida, serving as a Special Assistant Coach under Mike White, where he helped coordinate opponent and self-scouting programs and assisted with developing Florida's offense.

He also spent time at Duke on their 2015 NCAA Championship team and spent three years with the Phoenix Suns as a scout/analyst, creating new opponent scouting templates while helping with on-court player development as well.

As if that weren't enough, Douglas also helped with USA Basketball camps for the Senior National Team as they prepared for the 2016 Rio Olympics - something coach Few certainly likes about his resume.

Gary Bell Jr, Associate Head Coach, Northern Arizona Lumberjacks

Mar 27, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Gary Bell Jr. (5) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bell was not only a tremendous player at Gonzaga from 2011-2015 - earning WCC Defensive Player of the Year honors as a senior - he spent time on staff as a graduate assistant during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, and was the Coordinator of Basketball Administration in 2021-22.

Bell then caught on at Northern Arizona in the Big Sky, spending two years as an assistant coach before getting promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2024-25 campaign.

Bell was an elite defensive player while at Gonzaga but has developed into NAU's offensive coordinator, and his time spent playing in Poland, France, and Greece gives him international connections the Zags could utilize following Sanz's departure.

Que Johnson or Kurt Bambauer

Gonzaga graduate assistant Que Johnson (left) and head coach Mark Few (middle). | Photo by Erik Smith

Bambauer graduated from Gonzaga in 2017 and then spent four years on staff at Vanderbilt in the SEC, moving from graduate manager to assistant video coordinator. He then rejoined the Zags ahead of the 2021-22 season and has been in Spokane ever since, recently taking over the title of general manager. It is possible the Zags would move him internally into a coaching role and hire someone outside the organization for GM duties.

Johnson joined Gonzaga prior to the 2025-26 season as a graduate assistant, having experience as an assistant coach at Eastern Oregon and at various AAU stops locally. He played at Washington State from 2013-2016 and at Western Kentucky in 2016-17, and spent some time professionally overseas in Brazil. He could be a candidate for promotion if the staff liked what he brought last year in a GA role.

Other Candidates

Texas Tech assistant coach Rem Bakamus looks on during warmups prior to a non-conference men's basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, at United Supermarkets Arena. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Some other former Gonzaga players who are in the Division 1 coaching ranks include Rem Bakamus (Texas Tech), Kyle Bankhead (San Francisco), and Will Graves (Portland State). It wouldn't be a surprise to see any one of them targeted by the staff as a replacement for Sanz.

Someone like Connor Griffin, who played at Gonzaga from 2013-2015 and is now an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets, is a dart throw option the Zags could go after, along with former Director of Analytics Riccardo Fois (2014-2019), who is coming off an NBA championship with the New York Knicks.

The team could even look across the aisle in-house at JP Batista, who worked with the men's team while earning his master's degree in 2025 and is now the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the women's basketball program.

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