Mark Few won the AP College Basketball Coach of the Year award in 2017.
Few received the honor after leading Gonzaga to a historic season. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an outstanding record, won the West Coast Conference tournament and reached the program’s first NCAA Final Four.
The 2017 team was built around a balanced roster and strong defense, with players such as Nigel Williams-Goss, Zach Collins and Przemek Karnowski. Gonzaga advanced to the national championship game before losing to North Carolina.
Few’s award recognized both the quality of that team and the broader transformation of Gonzaga under his leadership. Although Gonzaga had already become a regular tournament participant, the 2017 Final Four run established the program as a national title contender.