It’s no secret that Bobby Hurley’s time as coach of the Arizona State men’s basketball team may be nearing its conclusion.
Hurley’s contract runs through the end of this season.
But could a high-profile coach be waiting in the wings to take over the Sun Devils basketball program if Hurley does not return to Tempe?
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello recently took a look at the 2026 men’s college basketball coaching carousel and had this to say about Saint Mary’s men’s basketball coach Randy Bennett in his “high-profile candidates to keep an eye on” section.
“Bennett has never shown interest in leaving Saint Mary’s, despite taking the Gaels to 11 NCAA tournament appearances since arriving in Moraga in 2001. But with Arizona State potentially opening, could Bennett — an Arizona native — find that it’s time to make the jump, especially with Gonzaga leaving the WCC?”
Randy Bennett speculated as potential Arizona State basketball coach
Bennett has been linked to Arizona State before due to his connections to the area (he went to Westwood High and Mesa Community College and his father, Tom Bennett, is a legendary coach from the area).
But he is 63. Would he really be interested in the ASU basketball job now? And would Arizona State be interested in him?
Borzello at least thinks there could be something there.
But the ASU job would have to open first, something which ESPN thinks could happen.
Arizona State basketball included among ‘jobs that could open’ list
Under the “jobs that could open” section of his story, Borzello writes of the Arizona State Sun Devils position:
“Bobby Hurley’s contract is up after this season and all signs point to the Sun Devils moving on from him. They’ve been playing better basketball of late, but they’re headed for their third straight season without an NCAA tournament appearance. Overall, in Hurley’s 11 seasons at the helm, Arizona State has gone to only three NCAA tournaments (it would have been a fourth had the tournament been held in 2020). But when the dust settles on this cycle, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hurley land on his feet closer to the Northeast.”
Will ASU move on from Bobby Hurley? Could Randy Bennett be an option to replace him?
The speculation surrounding the Arizona State basketball program is only going to intensify as the season nears a close for the Sun Devils.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bobby Hurley speculation includes potential Arizona State replacement