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.