When Mark Few took over as the Gonzaga men’s basketball coach in 1999, little did anyone know that it would be the start of an extraordinary run. With the Bulldogs coming off an Elite Eight appearance and a second-ever NCAA tournament appearance, Few stepped into a program that seemed poised for success. Fast forward to today, and Gonzaga has made the NCAA tournament every year under Few's leadership, a remarkable streak of 23 consecutive appearances.
Few finds himself tied with legendary ex-North Carolina coach Dean Smith for the third-most consecutive NCAA tournament appearances with one school. Only Michigan State’s Tom Izzo (25) and former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski (24) have longer streaks. This year, Few has a chance to surpass Smith on that list, although there's uncertainty surrounding Gonzaga's tournament prospects.
