TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State men’s basketball hadn’t introduced a new head coach in 11 years.

Yet when the time came to do so following the departure of Bobby Hurley, Sun Devil fans had to wait a little bit longer.   

After being announced as the school's next men's basketball head coach, Randy Bennett experienced a health complication that prompted a six-week hiatus and delayed his official welcome to the program. 

Originally scheduled for March 25, Bennett’s introductory press conference was postponed until the following week because Bennett was “feeling under the weather dealing with an illness,” according to ASU Athletics.

However, Bennett’s condition kept him sidelined until April 5, and he later said he had been hospitalized for 10 days at the Mayo Clinic. When Bennett recovered and had the opportunity to address the Sun Devil faithful on May 7 at the Weatherup Center in Tempe, he apologized for postponing the previously scheduled press conference before diving into his decision to return to his hometown. 

“Sorry about the pump fake on the first one,” Bennett said.

Bennett’s health issues came shortly after he decided to leave Saint Mary’s to become the 20th head coach in the history of his hometown Sun Devils.

In 25 seasons with the Gaels, Bennett claimed seven West Coast Conference (WCC) championships and reached the NCAA Tournament 12 times, turning Saint Mary’s into one of the premier mid-major programs in all of college basketball.

Bennett hopes to carry over his championship prowess to ASU.

“I wanted to be here,” Bennett said. “I think you can win championships here.”

Even though Bennett is no stranger to success, the Sun Devils have yet to find their footing in the Big 12, finishing 15th and 12th in their first two seasons in the conference.

While Bennett said being the head coach of the Sun Devils is a “dream job,” he also understands the challenges that come with leading a program in a loaded conference like the Big 12.

“(ASU) is a tough job because it’s in the Big 12,” Bennett said. “This conference is a top one or two conference in college basketball.”

A native of nearby Mesa, Bennett said he remembers a time when the Sun Devils were the premier basketball program in the Grand Canyon State.

Under legendary ASU coach Ned Wulk, the Sun Devils appeared in the Elite Eight three times and compiled a 39-15 record against rival Arizona from 1958-82.

Now, Bennett looks to gradually bring ASU back to the forefront of college hoops, starting with winning the in-state recruiting battle.

“To get great, we’re gonna have to keep the best Arizona kids home,” Bennett said. “That hadn’t been the case for a while.”

Bennett’s sudden move to the Sun Devils after a quarter-century with the Gaels came due to a number of factors transpiring this offseason, he said. 

Specifically, Gonzaga, a powerhouse program that built one of the best college basketball rivalries of the 21st century with the Gaels, is leaving the WCC for the Pac-12 next season, weakening the conference and its Division I NCAA Tournament resume.

Bennett pointed to the Zags’ departure from the WCC as a driving motive for his decision to leave Saint Mary’s.

“Gonzaga was the flagship program of that league and has been for 25 years,” Bennett said. “With Gonzaga leaving, it’s going to be harder to (make the tournament) and you’re not going to get Quad 1 games.”

With the festivities finally out of the way, Bennett and ASU’s focus is now on building a tournament-caliber team despite just two returning players from last year’s Sun Devils squad, he said. 

So far, Bennett and his staff have hit the ground running, with ASU already locking up seven new Sun Devils out of the transfer portal, including rising senior forward Paulius Murauskas, one of Bennett’s stars on the Gaels last season.

Even through medical issues and dealing with a brand-new roster, Bennett remains grateful for the chance to coach at ASU.

“People would often ask me, ‘Would I ever leave Saint Mary’s?,'” Bennett said. “When people would ask me, I’d say, ‘There’s one ASU.’”