Sun Devil Men’s Basketball head coach Randy Bennett has made his first two additions to his coaching staff and has updated his health situation after his arrival last Tuesday.
“Last week, when I arrived in Arizona, a health situation surfaced that I’m working through right now. I’m in good hands, we feel good about the plan, and I’m incredibly appreciative of the care I’ve received from the team at Mayo Clinic. Everything is under control, and I will be back at full strength very soon."
Rick Croy and Joe Rahon will all join the program as Associate Head Coaches. Bennett is wasting no time assembling one of the nation’s most decorated and experienced coaching staffs. Both Croy and Rahon have previously worked with Coach Bennett, providing valuable continuity during a transitional phase of the program.
“What I want people to know is that nothing about our momentum has changed,” Coach Bennett added. “We are moving forward, and I am excited to announce two of our associate head coaches, a duo I have a ton of trust in and who truly want to be at ASU. They both bring great experience, strong relationships, and real energy as our program continues to grow. I am very confident in where we are going and how this initial group of coaches is coming together. I look forward to meeting everyone who is ready to make Sun Devil Basketball great very soon.”
Rick Croy - Associate Head Coach
Rick Croy is joining the Sun Devil Men’s Basketball program after spending the past 13 seasons as the head coach of Cal Baptist University. He helped the Lancers transition from a Division II powerhouse to a Division I NCAA Tournament participant this season. In the first two seasons of Division I play, the Lancers combined to win 37 games - a NCAA record for most wins in the first two years of a transition program. During his tenure in Riverside, he compiled a 275-137 (.667) record and established himself as one of the top developers of talent in all of college basketball. Guards Dominique Daniels Jr. (2026) and Milan Acquaah (2020) were named WAC Player of the Year under the guidance of Croy.
The 2025-26 season was the pinnacle of Croy’s tenure at CBU. The Lancers finished the year with 25 wins, the most in the program’s Division I history. They were awarded a No. 13 seed in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, where they faced Kansas in the First Round. Croy surpassed 400 career wins this past season and led CBU to their first WAC Tournament Championship in program history, beating Utah Valley in the conference championship game to clinch an automatic bid to March Madness. Croy led the Lancers to a 15-0 home record and a 19-game win streak at home, the eighth-longest active streak in Division I.
Prior to CBU, Croy spent three years as the lead assistant coach at St. Mary’s. During his time working under Randy Bennett, the Gaels went 80-22 overall, winning two regular-season West Coast Conference championships and making two NCAA Tournament appearances. The duo has been reunited in Tempe for the first time since 2013.
Joe Rahon - Associate Head Coach
Joe Rahon is joining the Sun Devil Men’s Basketball program as an Associate Head Coach after spending the past five seasons under Bennett as an assistant and associate head coach at Saint Mary’s. No one will be more familiar with Bennett’s style and culture than Rahon, as he not only has been on Bennett’s staff, but he also played for Bennett at Saint Mary’s. After spending his first season on staff as a Graduate Assistant, Rahon was promoted to assistant coach, a role he served in for three years. Prior to the 2025-26 campaign, Rahon was promoted to Associate Head Coach for the Gaels. During his lone season as Associate Head Coach, Saint Mary’s continued their historic run, finishing the season 27-6 and splitting the regular season conference championship. The Gaels earned a No. 7 seed in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, their 18th consecutive postseason appearance.
In his five seasons on Coach Randy Bennett's staff, Rahon has helped the Gaels to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Several Gaels showed huge improvements under Rahon's tutelage, including 2025-26 All-WCC performers Paulius Murauskas, Mikey Lewis, and Joshua Dent. Two-time WCC Player of the Year (‘25, ‘24) guard Augustas Marciulionis thrived with Rahon on staff. Lewis won 2025 WCC Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman. Guards Aidan Mahaney, Alex Ducas, and Luke Barrett all received All-Conference distinction as the Gaels turned out some of the nation’s best guards. The list of guards receiving accolades with Rahon on staff continues with Tommy Kuhse and Logan Johnson, who each earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2023.
As a player, Rahon spent two seasons in Moraga playing for Bennett after transferring from Boston College following his sophomore season. He was immediately slotted into the starting lineup as a junior, and the rest is history. Rahon was named First Team All-WCC twice - including as a senior - when he took home WCC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Rahon became just the fourth Gael to win the award, and the first since Omar Samhan in 2010. He was also the conference's Newcomer of the Year in 2016, winning the award for the Gaels for the first time since Patty Mills did so in 2008. Despite playing just two seasons at Saint Mary's, Rahon has his name all over the SMC record book, including a ninth-place ranking in career assists. He also posted the fourth-best career assists-per-game average (5.52), and his 1,293 minutes played during his junior campaign are the second most in Saint Mary's history.
The remainder of Coach Bennett's staff will be announced at a later date.