Mark Few

Mark Few is an American college basketball coach who has led the Gonzaga Bulldogs since 1999. Over more than two decades, he has turned a mid-major program into a perennial national contender, reaching two NCAA championship games and winning an unprecedented 21 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year awards. His teams are known for offensive efficiency and player development, producing 18 NBA draft picks. As of 2026, Few holds the highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches with at least 10 years of experience, and his 700-plus career wins place him among the winningest in NCAA history.[edit]

Mark Norman Few was born on December 27, 1962, in Creswell, Oregon, a small town in the Willamette Valley. His father, Norman, worked as a millwright, and his mother, Mary, was a homemaker. He has one older brother, John. The family lived modestly, and Few developed a passion for basketball early, spending countless hours shooting on a dirt driveway and playing pickup games at the local park. His father instilled a strong work ethic, which Few later credited for his coaching discipline.

Few attended Creswell High School, where he was a standout guard on the basketball team. After graduating in 1981, he enrolled at the University of Oregon, earning a Bachelor of Science in physical education in 1985. He later completed a Master's degree in educational leadership from Oregon in 1989.

After college, Few worked briefly as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon under head coach Don Monson. In 1987, he became an assistant coach at the University of San Francisco under Jim Brovelli. Two years later, in 1989, he joined Gonzaga University as an assistant coach under Dan Fitzgerald, beginning what would become a lifelong association with the program. When Fitzgerald retired, Few was retained by new head coach Dan Monson. The 1994-95 season saw Gonzaga make its first NCAA Tournament appearance, and Few was part of the staff that built the foundation. In 1999, Monson left for Minnesota, and Few was promoted to head coach, inheriting a program on the rise.[edit]

Few's breakthrough came in his first season as head coach. In 1999, Gonzaga reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, stunning top-seeded Stanford and then Florida before falling to eventual champion Connecticut. This run put Gonzaga on the national map. Under Few, the Bulldogs have made the NCAA Tournament every season since, including the 2020 tournament that was canceled after Gonzaga had secured an automatic bid.

In 2017, Few led Gonzaga to its first national championship game appearance, where they lost to North Carolina. Four years later, in 2021, the Bulldogs completed the first undefeated regular season since Indiana State in 1979, finishing 26-0 before falling to Baylor in the championship game. Few has won 21 West Coast Conference regular-season titles and 23 conference tournament championships. He has coached 18 NBA draft picks, including lottery selections Adam Morrison, Kelly Olynyk, and Jalen Suggs. In 2025, he published a memoir, The Gonzaga Way, which became a New York Times bestseller. As of 2026, Gonzaga has joined the Pac-12 Conference, a move Few has publicly supported.[edit]

Few is known for his polished, professional appearance on the sideline, typically wearing a tailored suit or sport coat with a Gonzaga lapel pin, rarely a tie. His sideline demeanor is calm and measured, rarely showing emotion. The media consistently portrays him as a program builder and culture creator, often described as the best coach never to win a national championship. Gonzaga fans, known as Zag Nation, chant his name during introductions at the McCarthey Athletic Center, where he often shakes hands with students after home wins. His social media presence is professional but personable, posting game highlights and occasional family and fishing photos. He rarely engages in online debates.[edit]

The devotion surrounding Mark Few is less a fan club and more an institutional identity. While pop culture often demands a specific moniker for its followers, the supporters of the Gonzaga Bulldogs operate as a unified entity known simply as Zag Nation. This collective of alumni, students, and basketball purists has built a legacy defined by decades of unwavering loyalty rather than viral moments or organized campaigns. There are no documented fan-funded billboards, subway ads, or charity drives bearing Few's name alone; instead, their energy manifests in the electric atmosphere of the McCarthey Athletic Center, where chants echo during introductions and the program's success serves as the primary ritual. The relationship between Few and his audience is characterized by quiet stability. Fans revere him not for dramatic on-stage antics or mythical crowd reactions, but for the architect-like consistency that transformed a mid-major school into a perennial powerhouse. This narrative reached its definitive chapter in August 2026 with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. During this enshrinement, Few shared stories of profound gratitude and recalled a unique phone call just prior to the ceremony, moments that resonated deeply with a fanbase that values steady excellence over fleeting spectacle. Despite his global recognition as a coaching legend, iFANN's Global Fame Engine has evaluated his standing without assigning him a placement in the published rankings. Mark Few currently holds no position in the Global Top 1,000 or any Top-100 scope list.[edit]

Few turned down a reported $5 million annual offer to become the head coach at UCLA in 2019, choosing to remain in Spokane. He is an avid fly fisherman who frequently escapes to Montana and Oregon during the summers. Before his coaching career took off, he played college basketball as a walk-on at the University of Oregon but never earned a letter. As a head coach, Few has never posted a losing record; his lowest point was a 19-13 finish in the 2004-05 season. His .821 winning percentage stands as the highest among active Division I coaches with at least a decade of experience. A close friendship with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski provided Few with a crucial mentorship throughout his early years. Known for his analytical demeanor, he rarely raises his voice during games. In August 2026, Few was officially enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside the Class of 2026. A story fans still retell from that period involves a memorable phone call he received just before his enshrinement, which he described as a pivotal moment of reflection. His induction solidified his reputation as the man who rebuilt Gonzaga after losing twelve players in a single offseason, turning a roster crisis into a dynasty.[edit]

Few married Marcy Laca in 1994. Marcy is a former Gonzaga women's basketball player and later a physical therapist. The couple has three children: sons Michael and Joseph, and daughter Elizabeth. Michael Few played basketball at Gonzaga as a walk-on from 2019 to 2022. The family lives in Spokane, where Few owns a home valued at approximately $1.2 million, and they also have a vacation property on the Oregon coast. Few has publicly credited Marcy with supporting his demanding coaching career.[edit]

Few is closely associated with Gonzaga University, where he has spent over three decades as an assistant and head coach. He has also been linked to the University of Oregon, his alma mater, and the University of San Francisco, where he began his assistant coaching career.[edit]

Mark Few has been married to Marcy Laca since 1994. Marcy played women's basketball at Gonzaga and later worked as a physical therapist. The couple met while both were at Gonzaga and married in 1994. They have three children: Michael, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Few has publicly credited Marcy with supporting his demanding coaching career. No other romantic relationships have been documented in credible sources. As of 2026, Few remains married to Marcy.[edit]

Per iFANN's editorial analysis, Mark Few's net worth is estimated at $15 Million as of 2026. His financial foundation rests on a base salary of $2.8 million per year under his 2023-24 contract, supplemented by performance bonuses ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 annually for NCAA Tournament appearances and conference championships. Beyond the court, Few leverages endorsement deals with Nike and various local Spokane businesses, while commanding fees between $25,000 and $50,000 for each speaking engagement. His real estate portfolio includes a primary residence in Spokane valued at $1.2 million and a vacation property on the Oregon coast worth $800,000. Additional wealth stems from investments in Spokane-area real estate development and a minority stake in a local restaurant group. This figure remains modest when compared to power-conference peers, reflecting the different media revenue structures of Gonzaga, yet it underscores his choice to repeatedly reject higher-paying offers from larger programs.[edit]

Few has won numerous national and conference Coach of the Year awards. He received the Naismith College Coach of the Year and Associated Press Coach of the Year honors in both 2017 and 2021. He has been named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year a record 21 times. In 2021, he also received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award and the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.[edit]