Gonzaga’s Few says no thanks to UW

By Nicholas K. Geranios

Associated Press

SPOKANE – Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few on Monday withdrew as a candidate to rebuild the basketball program at the University of Washington.

Few, who has more wins than any other third-year coach in NCAA Division I history, said he decided Gonzaga is “the best place for my family and staff.

“We have built something very special and unique at Gonzaga University,” Few, 39, said in a news release. “I love my players, past and present, and appreciate their support during this process.

“I look forward to our future together.”

He praised Washington athletic director Barbara Hedges for being “first class throughout this process.”

Washington is looking for a coach to replace Bob Bender, who was asked to resign last month after three consecutive losing seasons.

On Sunday, Missouri basketball coach Quin Snyder took himself out of consideration for the Washington job. Hedges has also received permission to talk with Saint Louis coach Lorenzo Romar, who played for the Huskies.

Few finished seventh in the voting for The Associated Press college basketball coach of the year after leading the Bulldogs to a 29-4 record, the best in school history.

Gonzaga, ranked No. 6 in the nation in the final poll, lost to Wyoming in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA basketball tournament in each of Few’s three years as head coach, advancing to the round of 16 the first two years.

Even though All-America guard Dan Dickau has graduated, the Bulldogs are expected to field a good team next year with returning starters Blake Stepp, Zach Gourde and Cory Violette, and several key new players.

Few has spent more than a decade at Gonzaga as an assistant and head coach, and the Bulldogs have won at least 20 games in eight of the past nine seasons. They have made four straight trips to the NCAA tournament.

Few has an 81-20 record at Gonzaga, the most wins of any third-year coach in the history of Division I men’s basketball.

He made a reported $250,000 last season, and Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth has said Gonzaga would enhance Few’s pay in an effort to keep him.

There has been speculation the job at Washington could pay more than $700,000.

Few has stated on several occasions that it would take a great job opportunity to lure him away from Gonzaga, a private school with about 5,000 students.

Last week, Gonzaga assistant Bill Grier took himself out of consideration for the head coaching job at Boise State. The third assistant, Leon Rice, is a candidate for the head job at Montana.