Mark Few falls two spots in updated ranking of top 25 coaches in college basketball

Mark Few's name has been included on every legitimate list of the best coaches in college basketball written in the past 15 years, and for good reason.

The Gonzaga head man has an extraordinary 742-152 overall record over the past 26 years, including 25 NCAA Tournament appearances, a pair of Final Four's and a streak of nine straight appearances in the Sweet 16, which was snapped in heartbreaking fashion last year against Houston.

That's why it's no surprise to see his name on CBS Sports' recent top 25 ranking of the best current coaches in college hoops, although Few did fall two spots after last year's struggles.

Coach Few dropped from No. 7 to No. 9, getting passed by St. John's legend Rick Pitino — who went from No. 9 to No. 3 — and Florida's Todd Golden, who went from unranked all the way to No. 7 after leading the Gators to a national championship.

Dan Hurley (UConn), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), Pitino, Bill Self (Kansas), Matt Painter (Purdue), Nate Oats (Alabama), Golden, and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) are the eight names ahead of Few, while Baylor's Scott Drew rounds out the top ten.

Coach Few's resume is among the most decorated in college basketball history, although a national championship still eludes the 62-year-old. However, his 83% win rate is among the highest marks in the history of the sport, and his 22 WCC regular season titles, 20 conference championships, and 14 conference Coach of the Year awards show just how much of a dominant force his Gonzaga teams have been over the past quarter-century.

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Few is also an Olympic Gold medalist, having served as an assistant coach for Team USA in 2024 when they defeated France in Paris, and is one of the most successful college coaches at developing NBA talent, with 12 former players currently on NBA rosters.

Coaches who have worked with Few have gone on to do great things as well after learning from him, including longtime assistant coach Tommy Lloyd, who is now the head man at Arizona and comes in just a few spots behind his former boss at No. 15 on this list.

Few and the Zags will face plenty of the best coaches in college basketball this season, with matchups set against No. 6 Oats and Alabama, No. 16 Mark Pope at Kentucky, No. 17 Greg McDermott at Creighton, No. 23 Mick Cronin at UCLA, and No. 24 Randy Bennett at Saint Mary's.

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