> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # ‘Greatest News Ever’: Gonzaga’s Mark Few Inducted Into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/gonzaga-bulldogs-head-coach-mark-few-inducted-naismith-basketball-hall-of-fame/ - Published: 2026-04-04T22:08:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:53:19.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: News, Analysis, Gonzaga Men's Basketball, Mark Few \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="6443"\] ![ Mark Few during the Naismith Hall of Fame press conference at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_28658135-format-original.jpg) Mark Few during the Naismith Hall of Fame press conference at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images \[/caption\] In just his second year on the ballot, Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few has been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026\. Officially announced on Saturday, the 63-year-old will be enshrined in basketball immortality. “This is the greatest news ever. It's just such a thrill to be elected to the Hall of Fame, something I never would have imagined happening in my life,” Few said in a statement. “I'm so grateful and so proud of everything our players were able to accomplish here at Gonzaga. It's a credit to having incredible people around you: incredible players, incredible staff members, an unbelievable wife and family, and God directing me through this crazy life. I can't thank everybody enough at the Hall of Fame. I'm just thrilled to be part of this phenomenal class." Becoming eligible in 2024 for the first time, Few was a Hall of Fame finalist for the last two years. Active coaches must be at least 60 years old and have 25 years of service time under their belts. He joins fellow coaches Mike D’Antoni and Doc Rivers, former players Amare Stoudemire, Candace Parker, Elena Della Donne, and Chamique Holdsclaw, official Joey Crawford, and the 1996 United States Women’s National Team as this year’s inductees, who will have their induction ceremonies scheduled for August 14-15 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Most basketball coaches dream of taking over a program and pushing it to new heights. Few is a full-on success story for that objective, turning a small mid-major in Gonzaga into one of the most successful programs over the course of his 27 years at the helm. This past season, Few became the second-fastest coach to reach 700 wins in NCAA Division I history, only behind Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp, and his current winning percentage of .832 (773-156) ranks as the best all-time. In the WCC, the Bulldogs won 23 regular-season titles and 21 conference tournament championships with Few as head coach. He’s also produced nine 30-win seasons. The Zags haven’t missed an NCAA Tournament in his tenure, previously only making it in 1995 and 1999 when Dan Monson, Few’s predecessor, coached the Bulldogs before getting a job at Minnesota. Few has led 13 trips to the Sweet 16 – including every season from 2015-2024 – five teams to the Elite Eight, and two trips to the national championship game, in 2017 and 2021\. Gonzaga has won at least one game in March Madness for 17 consecutive years. Few was also part of USA Basketball’s coaching staff during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he contributed to a gold medal under Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. His coaching career began with the Bulldogs in 1989, as an assistant on Dan Fitzgerald’s staff, where he filled every role to earn his stripes. “At Gonzaga, you did everything. Everything.” Few said. “…We know how to work.” Few believes bringing in talented players is the key to sustainable winning, but players must be attracted to your program in an environment with vast and lucrative options. He says it resonates with players on how many alums are being sent to the league, where 19 Zags have been drafted to the NBA following Few’s tutelage, while there are 13 former Bulldogs who are on active NBA rosters this season. In the most recent edition of the NBA Finals, former Zags Andrew Nembhard, who is a guard for the Indiana Pacers, and Chet Holmgren, a center with the Oklahoma City Thunder, started opposite each other. Holmgren is already one of the most decorated Gonzaga players of all time — an NBA Champion, All-Star, and a member of the 2023-24 All-Rookie team. Now Few isn’t just in Indianapolis for his Hall of Fame honoring, but to support his former assistant Tommy Lloyd, who is the head coach of Arizona, a program competing in this weekend’s Final Four. Starting as a volunteer, Lloyd joined Few’s staff, where he worked relentlessly, had a positive spirit, and developed a great feel for the game. The Wildcats recently announced a five-year extension with Lloyd amidst rumors of him departing for the North Carolina job, but just like his mentor, Lloyd stayed put. “Well, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, I think,” Few joked at his press conference. “…When he took the Arizona thing, I thought it was just a great move on their part to see that as an assistant, and I’m just so happy for him. When (Arizona) \[won their Elite Eight game\], the joy in our family was incredible and feelings of pride.” Lloyd is from a small town in Washington, which Few says isn’t much bigger than his hometown of Creswell, Oregon. Few’s upbringing included his father remaining a minister at a church for 54 years, despite it being common for priests to find new homes a couple of times a decade, similar to the current landscape of college athletics. Undoubtedly, Few has received opportunities along the way to leave Spokane, but has remained loyal to Gonzaga, perhaps mimicking his father, he said. Returning for his 28th season as head coach, as the Zags move to the revamped Pac-12, speculation continues to grow on when Few will hang it up. But regardless of when his time as GU head coach comes to an end, from Few’s humble beginnings to becoming a stamped icon in Spokane, he has built an incredible legacy that will be remembered forever. “Where I come from, a little tiny town in Oregon, you couldn’t even possibly dream of something like this happening,” Few said. “You couldn’t possibly dream of something like this happening. The biggest emotion and feeling I’ve had is just this incredible, overwhelming flush of gratitude for everybody every step of the way.”