Gonzaga’s Mark Few makes Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ballot for first time

Gonzaga coach Mark Few is on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

The announcement Tuesday of all the Class of 2025 candidates was televised live on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” Few joins a distinguished list of candidates, including Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Billy Donovan, Dwight Howard, Doc Rivers and Maya Moore, on the 2025 ballot.

Few is one of 10 first-time North American candidates along with Howard, Donovan, Anthony, Rivers, Robert Horry, Amar’e Stoudemire, Don Richardson, Jack Madden and Danny Crawford.

Gonzaga emerged as a national power under Few, who was promoted to head coach several months after the Zags’ run to the 1999 Elite Eight.

The Zags have never missed an NCAA Tournament with Few at the helm – the 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic a couple of days after Gonzaga had earned an automatic berth – and they have the longest active streak with nine straight appearances in at least the Sweet 16.

Few, a GU assistant for 10 years before taking over as head coach, has guided Gonzaga to two Final Fours, coming up one win away from the national championship in 2017 and 2021, five Elite Eights and 13 Sweet 16s.

Few began the season with 716 wins, sixth among active coaches. His 724-146 record puts him at No. 1 in winning percentage (83.2) for active Division I coaches.

Gonzaga has produced 22 All-Americans, nine Academic All-Americans, 102 All-West Coast Conference selections and 17 WCC players of the year during Few’s coaching career.

Eighteen Zags have been drafted and 28 have appeared in the NBA in that time frame.

The Zags have won or shared 22 of 25 possible regular-season championships and claimed the WCC Tournament title 19 times.

Finalists chosen from the Category Screening Committees for the Class of 2025 will be announced on Feb. 14 in San Francisco as part of NBA All-Star Weekend. The Class of 2025 will be unveiled during a nationally televised broadcast at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio on April 5.

Few served as an assistant coach for Team USA, which won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August.

Few will receive the John R. Wooden Award “Legends of Coaching” Award in April 2025. The award recognizes coaches who exemplify Wooden’s high standard of coaching success and personal integrity.

Few has twice been named the Naismith Coach of the Year and was AP Coach of the Year in 2017.

He’s been voted WCC Coach of the Year a record 14 times.