Could Gonzaga coach be candidate for Big 12 job?

Brian Michaelson could be in the mix for several jobs this offseason

Cole Forsman | Mar 7, 2025

Gonzaga men's basketball coaches. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

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Another high-major coaching job could become vacant if reports that Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini is preparing to move on from men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley are true.

The Sun Devils (13-17, 4-15) have lost 14 of their last 18 contests heading into their regular season finale against Texas Tech and will finish second-to-last in the Big 12 standings in their first season in the conference. If that trend continues into conference tournament play, the 2024-25 campaign will also mark the fourth time in the last five seasons that Hurley, who's guided ASU to the NCAA Tournament three times over the last decade, will finish with a below-.500 record.

Hurley is 168-148 as head coach of the Sun Devils, including 2-4 in the NCAA Tournament. Compare those records to his in-state counterpart Tommy Lloyd at Arizona, which has already appeared in a pair of Sweet 16 games under the 50-year-old Lloyd, who recently tied Gonzaga head coach Mark Few as the fastest active head coach to reach 100 career wins and is currently 108-30 over his first four years at the helm of the Wildcats.

If the Sun Devils do indeed make a change in the coaching chair soon, could they follow the blueprint of their in-state rivals in Tucson, Arizona, by hiring Few's current top assistant, Brian Michaelson?

Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson. / Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

The 43-year-old Michaelson, who's been on Few's staff since 2008, has it written into his contract that he will be the next head coach of the Bulldogs when Few retires or leaves — the same deal Lloyd had before he left for Arizona following 22 years in Spokane. However, Few has shown no signs of slowing down since his experiences as an assistant with Team USA's gold medal squad last summer.

An opportunity like Arizona State — one backed with strong NIL support from its strongest NBA alum — could be too good to pass up for Michaelson if the opportunity presents itself.