Arizona State Hires Rick Croy as Associate Coach

Former Cal Baptist head coach Rick Croy joins Randy Bennett's staff at Arizona State, with his son JRob also enrolling as a freshman.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Basketball

Empty indoor basketball arena floor with polished hardwood and a center-court circle, lit warmly in maroon and gold tones. — Arizona State has hired former Cal Baptist head coach Rick Croy as associate head coach under Randy Bennett, with his son JRob enrolling as a freshman. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Arizona State has hired Rick Croy as associate head coach under head coach Randy Bennett. Croy's son JRob, a 4-star freshman recruit, has also joined the program.

Why it matters

Croy previously led Cal Baptist for 13 seasons and brings a .667 win percentage to the Sun Devils staff. The move gives Arizona State an experienced coach as it works toward competing at the high-major level.

Croy holds a .667 win percentage across 13 seasons as head coach at Cal Baptist, which moved from Division 2 to Division 1 during his tenure. His son JRob is a 4-star freshman recruit, but the source does not detail his expected role for the Sun Devils.

The players

Rick Croy

Rick Croy is a veteran college basketball coach who led Cal Baptist for 13 seasons and previously coached at Citrus College and UC Riverside.

Randy Bennett

Randy Bennett is the head men's basketball coach at Arizona State and previously led St. Mary's, where he worked with Croy.

Arizona State

Arizona State is a public research university in Tempe, Arizona, with a Division I men's basketball program.

The details

Bennett secured Croy after making a call to a former assistant, and the hire followed initial phone calls about JRob's recruitment. Croy previously worked on Bennett's staff at St. Mary's from 2010 to 2013 before returning to coaching at the high-major level.

2005: Croy became head coach at Citrus College.
2010 to 2013: Croy served as associate head coach at St. Mary's under Bennett.
2026: Cal Baptist made its first NCAA tournament appearance, losing 68-60 to Kansas as a 13 seed.
November 2, 2026: Arizona State announced the hire.

Season Trajectory

Croy's move follows Cal Baptist's first NCAA tournament appearance in school history, a 68-60 loss to Kansas as a 13 seed in 2026. The hire adds a coach with recent postseason experience to an Arizona State staff built around a high-major program.

Croy's addition gives Sun Devils fans a coach with a .667 winning percentage and recent NCAA tournament experience. JRob's arrival as a 4-star freshman may affect how the program's recruiting class is viewed heading into the season.

The takeaway

Programs often add experienced assistants to support long-term succession planning, and Croy's background at Cal Baptist and St. Mary's makes him a candidate to watch for future head coaching roles.