Randy Bennett hiring Cal Baptist head coach Rick Croy as associate head coach at ASU
Arizona State will reportedly hire Cal Baptist head coach Rick Croy as an associate head coach on Randy Bennett's men's basketball staff.
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Arizona State will hire Cal Baptist head coach Rick Croy as an associate head coach on Randy Bennett’s men’s basketball staff, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
Croy has led the Lancers to a 143-108 (.570) record over the last eight seasons since joining Division 1 in the Western Athletic Conference, along with a 132-29 (.820) record in his final five years leading the program at the Division 2 level.
Prior to getting the head-coaching gig, the 48-year-old Croy was an associate head coach under Bennett from 2010-13.
The coach is also the father of JRob Croy, the No. 124 player in the 2026 class who flipped his Saint Mary’s commitment to ASU after Bennett was hired.
Rick Croy led Cal Baptist to a 25-9 record in 2025-26, its best season since joining Division 1, which included its first WAC tournament title and an eight-point loss to Kansas in the Round of 64.
The Lancers had the 50th ranked defense in the country, per KenPom, surrendering the 35th fewest points (67.6 per game). They were among the nation’s best in limiting 3-point shots, ranking second in makes (5.3), sixth in attempts (18) and fifth in percentage allowed (29.5%).
While Cal Baptist was senior-laden for its NCAA Tournament squad, its starting center for the final 13 games was Glendale Cactus High School product Bradey Henige, a 7-foot sophomore who averaged 4.7 points (57.1% shooting) and 5.6 rebounds in those contests.
Croy is one piece to the staff Bennett is building out ahead of the April 7 opening of the transfer portal.
Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported at the time of Bennett’s hiring that Saint Mary’s associate head coach Joe Rahon would join the ASU staff, and Rahon was seen arriving in Tempe with the head coach.
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Comments
5 Comments
Future coach in waiting as Bennett approaches mid 60's.
Actually too common, but if you're not cheating you're not trying.
I'm concerned that none of the current ASU players with eligibility have said anything. I'm also concerned that there has been no announcement by either Bennett nor the ASU AD about building a slush fund (NIL) to give ASU a more even playing field. Without that fund, Bennett will be figuratively swimming upstream with an anchor around his waist. IMHO, I don't see ASU/ mainly Crow stepping up. The most likely outcome of the Bennett hire is that he'll coach at ASU for a couple years until he's 65, enjoying being around his family, but not enjoying how his teams are getting their butts kicked even worse that Hurley ever did, while playing a Sisters of the Poor Non-Conference Schedule with result in a very empty Wells Fargo. The only way ASU is going to compete in basketball is to dump Crow.