Gonzaga’s Mark Few named one of three coaching finalists for Naismith Hall of Fame
Mark Few’s coaching résumé consists of 735 career victories, 24 NCAA Tournaments, two national championship appearances and 14 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors.
A Naismith Hall of Fame induction could be on its way soon.
Two months after being named a first-time nominee to the Hall of Fame, Gonzaga’s longtime coach was named a Hall of Fame finalist on Friday afternoon during a ceremony in San Francisco coinciding with NBA All-Star Weekend.
Few was one of three coaching finalists announced on Friday, joining Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan and former Iona coach Jerry Welsh. Few and Donovan are both first-time finalists.
Player finalists include Carmelo Anthony, Sylvia Fowles, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, Sue Bird, Jennifer Azzi, Buck Williams, Molly Bolin, Dusan Ivkovic and Marques Johnson.
Referee Danny Crawford, contributors Micky Arison and Tal Brody, along with the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team were the other people/groups chosen as finalists.
Few, in his 26th season as Gonzaga’s coach, holds the highest winning percentage by an active Division I coach with a win-loss record of 735-150 (83.1).
The Zags have earned NCAA Tournament bids in each of his 25 seasons, appearing in March Madness in every year but 2019-20, when the tournament was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gonzaga made national championship game appearances in 2017 and 2021 and has appeared in five Elite Eights under Few’s directions. The Zags have made 13 Sweet 16 appearances and extended their streak of consecutive Sweet 16s to nine last season.
In addition to 22 All-Americans, Few has coached nine Academic All-Americans, 102 All-West Coast Conference selections, 17 conference players of the year, 10 conference newcomers of the year and nine defensive players of the year.
During the Few tenure, GU’s won or shared 22 regular-season WCC championships and won 19 WCC Tournament titles.
Gonzaga’s had 18 NBA draft selections and has coached 28 players who’ve appeared in the NBA.
Hall of Fame inductees will be unveiled during a national television broadcast at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio on April 5.