Final Four 2017: Power ranking the coaches
Mark Few
HC, Gonzaga
There was just one accomplishment missing on Mark Few’s growing list before the 2016-17 season — OK, maybe two. One was making it to the Final Four, which he has since done, and the other was winning a national title, which looks like a decent bet at this point.
Not many college basketball coaches get their starts as graduate assistants and remain with that same school throughout their careers, but that’s exactly what’s happened with Few. He was a graduate assistant for the Bulldogs in 1989-90 before being brought on as a full-time assistant from 1990-99 and then the head coach from 1999 until now.
Before Few, the program had very little success in the postseason. In fact, the Bulldogs had made just one NCAA Tournament appearance before he took over in 1999 and he’s since led them to 19 straight. He hasn’t been poached by other major programs because they believe he will be with Gonzaga for as long as his career plays out.
Gonzaga went from an unknown school in the Northwest to a perennial contender which is only getting better as time passes. Few’s first Final Four comes with more expectations than ever as the Bulldogs look like one of two favorites to win it all.
Few is no stranger to earning a No. 1 seed, as he’s done so before, but this is the first time his team has lived up to that billing. Still, Few has done a fantastic job with the Bulldogs. He’s only lost 10-plus games two times in his 18-year coaching career.