Gonzaga coach Mark Few to miss 3 games following DUI arrest

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Gonzaga coach Mark Few will miss two exhibition games and the first game of the regular season after he was arrested last month on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The school made the announcement before the Bulldogs’ kickoff event — “Kraziness in the Kennel” — on Saturday.

Few will not be on the sideline for Gonzaga’s exhibition games on Oct. 31 against Eastern Oregon and Nov. 5 against Lewis-Clark State, and the regular-season opener on Nov. 9 versus Dixie State. His first game will be Nov. 13 against Texas, a showdown of expected top-10 teams.

“I have had a month to reflect on the regretful decisions I made on Sept. 6. I again offer my sincere apology and I remain committed to learning from this mistake,” Few said in a statement. “As a consequence of my error in judgment, I will not be present at Kraziness in the Kennel and the first three games of our season. I know this impacts our student-athletes and the coaching staff as we begin the season. I understand the severity of my actions and am sorry for the impact this consequence has on our team.”

Few was pulled over on Sept. 6 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, about 30 miles east of the Gonzaga campus. The officer was responding to a report of a black SUV swerving erratically and speeding.

Few’s breath smelled of alcohol and he had bloodshot eyes on the night he was arrested, though he initially told a police officer he had not been drinking, according to probable cause documents from police.

Under further questioning by the officer, Few eventually said he had two beers that day, with his last beer coming about four hours before he was pulled over.

Few provided breath samples at the scene that registered blood-alcohol concentrations of .119 and .120, which is above the legal limit of .08.

Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford said he continues to have full confidence in Few leading the program.

“I believe it is possible to both address the seriousness of an incident and the need for accountability, while extending support and compassion to one who both accepts responsibility and commits to resolve their failing,” Standiford said in a statement.

Few has coached Gonzaga for 22 seasons and has never generated much off-court controversy. He has taken the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament every year except 2020, when the tournament was canceled because of the pandemic. Gonzaga lost to Baylor in the national title game earlier this year. Few is 630-125 at Gonzaga, and his .834 winning percentage is the best of any active coach.