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NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FINAL FOUR

March 30, 2017

Phoenix, Arizona

AP Coach of the Year

THE MODERATOR: I'd like to present Barry Bedlan and Mark Few.

BARRY BEDLAN: The country has broadcasters to rank the teams of the land each week during the regular season and for most of that time they've also, at the end of the year, have selected a top coach, coach of the year. And it's my pleasure today to award announce that award.

This year 's AP coach of the year has put a small school in Washington on the map, leads a program that's about to celebrate its 100th year. But by far greatest success come past 18 years as leadership of the school. Before he took over the program the Gonzaga basketball program, the team had a winning percentage of 54 percent, had never been ranked in the AP poll and only twice had appeared in the NCAA Tournament.

Since then it's won 82 percent of its games, hasn't missed an NCAA Tournament since and also now has the fourth longest active streak of tournament appearances. While that's impressive on its own, under this coach they've also secured two No. 1 seeds, six trips to the Sweet 16 and two to the Elite Eight and now one to the Final Four.

Also Gonzaga has appeared in the AP poll all but one of his 18 seasons for a total of 216 appearances. And this season he also became the third fastest to reach 500 wins in NCAA Division I history. Safe to say there are few coaches like Coach Few.

It is my honor to present the 2016/2017 AP Coach of the Year award to Mark Few. We'll hoist up the 80-pound trophy here to test his strength. Coach, a few comments.

COACH FEW: Well, what an incredible honor. I mean, being in this business for 28 years, there are so many amazing coaches to get this award, especially from the writers who cover and broadcasting people who cover the sport, they get it. They understand just everything that goes into it.

It truly takes a village to run a basketball program, and I got the greatest village in the world with the coaches I have -- Tommy Lloyd, Donny Daniels, Brian Michaelson, John Jakus, Ricky Fois. Just an amazing group, and I can't thank them enough. Can't thank the players enough. I mean the players are obviously what makes this all happen.

And I am so blessed to be able to coach the group I have this year. And like Barry was saying, the groups I've had all 18 years, I'm a blessed man. And I thank Gonzaga for giving me the opportunity and supporting me and our staff and our players through all this. So thank you. This is really, really cool stuff.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Obviously this is a total team effort, and this has been 19, maybe 26, 25 years in the making for this program, and have put you and this program into position like this today?
COACH FEW: Yeah, it's been -- and Gonzaga, it's I think I say it's kind of been organically built. We don't have big -- we don't get TV contracts because we have a crappy football team, you know? I mean, we've built it with the help of everybody. And it hasn't been easy. And but it's been fun. And we've done it the right way.

And I think of all the players that have been there along this entire stretch, putting bricks on on this building. And now I'm so happy for them because I know how proud they are to finally get the program to a Final Four. But an award like this, this is about this year. And this team, I'm able to coach this year has just been remarkable.

They're so consistent, so connected. They're just a dream come true. I wish every coach at this convention, you know, that I've came to dutifully for the last 28 years, you know, as an NABC member, I wish every coach to have an opportunity to coach the group of guys I had this year. Just an awesome group. I love them and I'm definitely indebted to them.

Q. It's a long ways from coaching the Creswell JVs. Can you tell me what in those early days of coaching, what made you decide that this was for you, that coaching was for you?
COACH FEW: I owe my old high school coach Doug Orton. He gave me an opportunity. I played under him. And when I played under him he always made me think of the whys, the w-h-y, this is why we're doing this defense. This is why we're running this play as opposed to just running it and not thinking about it.

And that stuck with me. And it really struck a nerve and kind of, when I was at the University of Oregon and getting done there, just why not try this, really got nothing else going on. And then obviously for Dan Monson and Fitz to give me an opportunity to come up to Gonzaga. But, yeah, it all started with Coach Orton.

Q. How surreal is it to be named the coach of the year at the same time that your team is just two wins away from hoisting the national title?
COACH FEW: It's just unbelievable. It's just crazy. I don't know that it really truly sinks in. And again, it's a credit to this team that God has put me in position to lead. But again, it's not really about me. I mean, this is about Gonzaga and this year.

And I'm telling you the staff I have. I'm not a guy that thinks or ever thought that I have all the answers. So I think collectively, I mean, I've got some brilliant guys on my staff. And I want to use every ounce of energy and brainpower and thoughts that they have to help our team be good. I mean it's all about GU being great. And so this is more, I think, about them and Nigel and Przem and J3 and Jordan and all the guys. And then about the staff.

Q. When you think about just kind of your coaching career at Gonzaga and the people and experiences that have prepared you for this or through the years, who or what in particular comes to mind?
COACH FEW: I mean, every player that ever made the sacrifices, like I said, to put that brick on this foundation. I mean, it's a unique house, as you guys all know. I mean, we're not from the traditional blue-blood deal, but we've worked hard to get to this point. So every player that believed in us and came up here, or came to Gonzaga to play. And every coach, you know, the guys that aren't here, Leon Rice, Billy Grier, Ray Giacoletti, those guys that have helped build this thing along the way deserve a lot of credit and it's just a total team effort. Total village.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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