Gonzaga's Mark Few named Naismith Coach of the Year

Gonzaga head coach Mark Few has been named the Naismith Coach of the Year for the 2020-21 season.

Few guided the Bulldogs to a first-place finish in the West Coast Conference this season. The program has carried its overwhelming success into the NCAA Tournament, with the Zags currently possessing a 30-0 record entering Saturday's Final Four action against UCLA. This year marked the first time Gonzaga finished the regular season with a perfect record (24-0).

The 58-year-old previously won the award in 2017 when he led the Bulldogs to a 37-2 overall record and national championship appearance against North Carolina.

Few beat out Baylor's Scott Drew, Michigan's Juwan Howard, and Alabama's Nate Oats for the prize.

"The Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year is an incredible honor. I’m very humbled by it because I’m surrounded by so many amazing coaches in our profession that I look up to and really hold in great reverence," Few said in a statement.

"Especially with the year we all have been through, I think everybody did an amazing job shepherding their teams through all the challenges. This really means a lot. It’s great to be honored, and I appreciate it."

Few has earned a 629-124 record (.835 winning percentage) in 753 career games since taking over at Gonzaga before the 1999-00 season.

The Bulldogs have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in every season the bench boss has coached at the school, excluding the 2019-20 campaign when the event was canceled. The team has won 25 or more games in 14 straight seasons.