Mark Few Enters Hall of Fame as Protege Lloyd Reaches Final Four

On April 4, 2026, the basketball world turned its attention to Indianapolis for two momentous reasons: the NCAA Final Four semifinal games and the formal announcement of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026. At the center of both storylines was one man — Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. While his longtime protege Tommy Lloyd was preparing to lead the Arizona Wildcats against Michigan in the Final Four, Few was being immortalized as one of basketball's all-time great coaches. The convergence of these two events made for one of the most emotionally charged weekends in recent college basketball history.

Mark Few Officially Named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

At a ceremony held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Mark Few was officially inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. The announcement capped decades of sustained excellence that transformed a small Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington into a perennial national powerhouse.

Few's credentials speak for themselves. He holds the finest winning percentage among all active coaches in college basketball and has guided Gonzaga to an extraordinary 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Under his watch, the Bulldogs have reached two national championship games, fundamentally reshaping what mid-major programs can achieve in the modern era.

What makes Few's accomplishment even more remarkable is where he came from. He grew up in Creswell, Oregon — a town of just 1,500 people — and never played Division I basketball himself. His path to the Hall of Fame was built entirely through coaching acumen, player development, and a program culture that has made Gonzaga the envy of college basketball.

Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats: A Mentor's Greatest Achievement

Perhaps no storyline added more emotional resonance to Few's Hall of Fame weekend than watching his former assistant coach lead Arizona to the Final Four just miles from where Few was being honored. Tommy Lloyd, who spent more than 20 years as Few's assistant at Gonzaga, is now in his fifth season leading the Wildcats — and the results have been nothing short of sensational.

Lloyd's record at Arizona stands at an eye-opening 148-35, and this season alone his team recorded 14 wins over nationally ranked opponents — the most by any program in a single season. Arizona punched their Final Four ticket with a dominant 79-64 victory over Purdue in the Elite Eight in San Jose, setting up a semifinal matchup with Michigan in Indianapolis.

Few described Arizona's breakthrough as bringing "incredible" joy to his family, reflecting the deep bond that still connects the two programs. "He's done an unbelievable job," Few said of Lloyd, clearly beaming with pride at his former assistant's success on the biggest stage.

The International Pipeline: Few's Advice That Shaped Lloyd's Program

One of the most fascinating coaching insights to emerge from Few's Hall of Fame weekend was the advice he gave Lloyd early in his career — advice that has since become a cornerstone of Arizona basketball. Few was not at all surprised by Lloyd's success, having personally encouraged his assistant to focus on developing an international recruiting pipeline.

Lloyd has executed that vision brilliantly at Arizona. The Wildcats' current roster features international standouts including Ivan Kharchenkov and Motiejus Krivas, both of whom are starters and key contributors to the team's Final Four run. This international dimension gives Arizona a distinctive identity and a recruiting advantage in markets that many programs overlook.

The strategy mirrors what Few built at Gonzaga — a program that consistently finds talent others miss, develops it thoroughly, and turns overlooked prospects into household names. That both programs now run parallel international pipelines is no coincidence; it is the direct result of a mentorship relationship that spans more than two decades.

Don't Mess With Happy: Few on Lloyd and Coaching Rumors

With Arizona's Final Four success came the inevitable speculation about Lloyd's future and whether bigger programs might come calling. Few addressed those questions directly, revealing that Lloyd had already turned down a significant opportunity to leave Arizona.

"He rejected an opportunity to go to North Carolina," Few confirmed. When asked why he knew Lloyd would stay, Few's answer was simple and telling: "He's happy there." It's a philosophy Few clearly believes in deeply — that coaching is not about chasing prestige or checking boxes, but about finding the right fit and building something meaningful.

Few's insight into Lloyd's decision to spurn North Carolina reflects a mentor who knows his former assistant better than almost anyone. The "don't mess with happy" ethos has clearly been absorbed by Lloyd, who appears fully committed to building Arizona into an enduring national power rather than treating it as a stepping stone.

The Speakeasy Pickleball Tournament: A Legendary Bubble Story

No profile of Mark Few would be complete without acknowledging the lighter side of his personality — and few stories illustrate that better than the now-legendary "Speakeasy" pickleball incident of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

During the COVID bubble in Indianapolis, Few and Baylor head coach Scott Drew secretly organized a pickleball tournament between their two teams — in direct violation of NCAA bubble protocols. The underground event, which Few and Drew dubbed the "Speakeasy," has become one of college basketball's most beloved anecdotes, painting a picture of a coach who, for all his discipline and excellence on the court, has never lost his sense of fun and camaraderie.

The fact that it happened in Indianapolis — the same city where Few was being inducted into the Hall of Fame five years later — adds a certain poetic symmetry to the story. Indianapolis has clearly been a significant backdrop in the Mark Few legend.

A Legacy Built on Consistency, Development, and Culture

What separates Mark Few from most coaches isn't just the wins — it's the consistency of those wins over an extraordinary length of time. 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is a number that defies comprehension in an era of coaching turnover, transfer portals, and NIL upheaval. Gonzaga has navigated every seismic shift in college basketball and emerged stronger each time.

Few's legacy is also measured in the coaches he has produced. Tommy Lloyd is the most prominent example, but the Gonzaga coaching tree has branches that extend throughout the sport. When a program's assistant coaches go on to achieve elite success elsewhere — with Lloyd's 148-35 record at Arizona as Exhibit A — it speaks to a culture of learning and development that runs far deeper than Xs and Os.

From a small town in Oregon to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Mark Few's journey is a testament to what patience, vision, and commitment to a single program can achieve. In an age when coaches bounce between jobs at the first sign of a bigger paycheck, Few built his legacy by staying put and going deep.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mark Few

When was Mark Few inducted into the Hall of Fame?

Mark Few was formally announced as a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 on April 4, 2026, at a ceremony held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

How many NCAA Tournaments has Mark Few led Gonzaga to?

Few has led Gonzaga to 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, a streak that represents one of the most remarkable runs of sustained success in college basketball history. The Bulldogs also made two national championship game appearances under his leadership.

Who is Tommy Lloyd and what is his connection to Mark Few?

Tommy Lloyd served as Mark Few's assistant coach at Gonzaga for over 20 years before becoming the head coach at the University of Arizona in 2021. Under Lloyd, Arizona has gone 148-35 and reached the 2026 NCAA Final Four. Few has been widely credited as Lloyd's most important mentor.

Did Tommy Lloyd really turn down North Carolina?

Yes. Mark Few confirmed that Lloyd rejected an opportunity to become the head coach at North Carolina, choosing to remain at Arizona. Few explained the decision simply: "He's happy there." Lloyd's commitment to building Arizona has been validated by the program's rapid ascent to national prominence.

What is the "Speakeasy" pickleball story about Mark Few?

During the 2021 NCAA Tournament COVID bubble in Indianapolis, Few and Baylor coach Scott Drew secretly organized an unauthorized pickleball tournament between their two teams, which they called the "Speakeasy." The event violated NCAA bubble protocols but has since become one of college basketball's most beloved off-court stories, showcasing Few's personality beyond the sideline.

Conclusion

April 4, 2026, will long be remembered as a landmark day in college basketball — the day Mark Few took his rightful place in the Hall of Fame while his greatest coaching disciple competed on the sport's biggest stage just steps away. Few's induction is not merely a celebration of wins and records; it is a recognition of a coaching philosophy built on loyalty, player development, international vision, and a genuine joy for the game. From the fields of Creswell, Oregon to the halls of Springfield, Massachusetts, the Mark Few story is one of the most compelling in the history of American sport. And with Tommy Lloyd carrying the torch in Tucson, that story is far from over.