With a resume that includes 21 postseason appearances and three conference coach of the year awards, along with demonstrated player and staff development, Herb Sendek is entering his 10^th season as Santa Clara's head men's basketball coach in 2025-26. In his nine previous seasons, he has accumulated a 161-120 (.573) record, and has the fourth-most wins in program history. 

In July of 2025, Sendek signed a five-year contract extension that will keep him at the helm of the program through the 2029-30 season. 

Sendek, who was hired on March 29, 2016 as the 15th head coach in school history, is among the most successful coaches in Santa Clara basketball history. In his nine-year tenure, the Broncos have posted eight winning records, including seven-straight entering 2025-26, which is tied for the second-longest winning record streak in program history (1957-58 through 1962-63). He is the eighth coach in program history to reach 100 wins, and is tied with legendary coach Dick Davey for the fewest number of seasons needed to reach 140 victories (eight). 

A native of Pittsburgh, Sendek is entering his 32nd season as a collegiate head coach in 2025-26, and has seen tremendous success in all four of his head-coaching tenures. With a career record of 574-415 (.580), he ranks 52nd in NCAA Division I history in wins and is one of 15 active head coaches with 500 career victories. He is also one of three current head coaches in the WCC with 500 wins (Mark Few and Randy Bennett), and ranks 13^th in wins among current active head coaches in NCAA D1. 

Sendek has put together five 20-win seasons in his time at Santa Clara, which is just one shy of tying the legendary Carroll Williams for the most in program history.

The last six seasons of the Sendek Era have been particularly impressive and rank among the most successful stretches for any coach in Bronco history. Santa Clara has won 117 games since 2019-20, which is the second-most wins in a six-year stretch in program history (1967-68 through 1972-73). Among the victories during that stretch were 11 against Power 6 opponents and three against ranked opponents. Five of the six seasons saw the Broncos post 20 or more wins with the lone exception being the 2020-21 campaign that was shortened to 20 games total due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Excluding the Covid year, it is the first time that Santa Clara has ever posted 20-win seasons in five consecutive years. 

In the last four seasons alone, Sendek has guided the Broncos to 85 victories, which is tied as the best four-year stretch in program history (1966-67 through ’69-70). In 2021-22 and 2022-23, he led the team to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for Santa Clara's first back-to-back postseason bids (NCAA or NIT) since 1994-95 and 1995-96. In 2024-25, the Broncos returned to the NIT for their third postseason appearance in four seasons. The Broncos also finished inside the top four of the WCC standings in all four years, their longest stretch doing so since 1995-2002.  

Perhaps the most impressive stat from the last four seasons is Sendek’s win total against opponents ranked in the top-25 of the Associated Press Poll. Prior to Sendek’s arrival, Santa Clara had not defeated a ranked opponent since Nov. 19, 2004. The Broncos ended their drought on Feb. 8, 2022 when Sendek’s team knocked off No. 22 Saint Mary’s, 77-72, inside the Leavey Center. Two years later, SCU took down No. 21 Gonzaga, 77-76, and in 2024-25, Sendek had perhaps his most defining victory yet when the Broncos went into Spokane and knocked off No. 16 Gonzaga again, this time inside the Kennel.

Prior to joining the Broncos, Sendek served as head coach at Arizona State, North Carolina State and Miami (Ohio). In those three stints, he compiled a 413-295 (.583) record, including 39 victories against top 25 opponents. Sendek earned coach of the year honors in the Pac-10, Atlantic Coast Conference and Mid-American Conference. He was one of the three youngest coaches with 400 or more victories. Sendek is one of nine active Division I head coaches to win at least 100 games at three or more D1 schools, and is one of 13 active head coaches to win conference coach of the year honors by three or more conferences. 

Under Sendek’s direction, Santa Clara has emerged as one of the top programs to produce NBA talent over the last couple of seasons. In 2022, Jalen Williams became the program’s highest NBA draft pick of the modern era and second-highest ever when he was selected 12^th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder. A first team All-WCC performer with the Broncos, Williams went on to have a tremendous rookie season with the Thunder, finishing runner-up for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. In 2025, Williams established himself as one of the top players in the NBA as he earned a spot in his first NBA All-Star game, was named both All-NBA (Third Team) and All-Defensive Team, and, of course, won the 2025 NBA Finals Championship with the Thunder to become the first Bronco to win an NBA title since Kurt Rambis in the 1980s.

The following year saw yet another Bronco hear his name called in the first round of the NBA Draft, as WCC Co-Player of the Year Brandin Podziemski was selected 19^th overall by the Golden State Warriors. In doing so, Santa Clara became one of just five programs to produce back-to-back top-20 picks in the 2022 and 23 NBA Drafts, joined by Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Baylor. Additionally, Santa Clara became one of just three current WCC programs to ever produce back-to-back first round selections (Gonzaga and San Francisco).

Williams and Podziemski both earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team in their respective seasons and were also twice named NBA Rising Stars. They are just the latest beneficiaries of Sendek’s pipeline to the NBA which include fellow first-rounders James Harden (Arizona State), Julius Hodge (NC State) and Wally Szczerbiak (Miami).

In Sendek’s nine seasons, 15 Broncos have earned a total of 25 All-WCC honors with nine first team selections (see chart below) along with four earning all-region honors. At least one Bronco has been named first team All-WCC in each of the last four seasons. In 2023-24, a total of four players earned All-WCC accolades - the most representatives of Sendek's tenure and most since 2008-09. 

The 2024-25 campaign saw Santa Clara reach 20 or more wins for the fourth-consecutive season (21) and record 12 wins in WCC play - the most of Sendek's tenure and most by the Broncos overall since 1994-95. It was the fourth-consecutive season that SCU finished inside the top-four of the final WCC standings - their longest streak since doing so eight consecutive years from 1994-95 through 2001-02. The Broncos relied heavily on the 3-ball throughout the season, so much so that they obliterated both the school and WCC records for most 3-pointers in a season with a whopping 368 treys. A good chunk of those treys came in two games specifically, and both on the road. The Broncos knocked down 18 3-pointers en route to scoring 103 points to take down No. 16 Gonzaga in Spokane and had an even more impressive showing on Feb. 22 when they tied the NCAA D1 record for the most treys made by a road team when they dismantled Washington State in Pullman by knocking down 23 triples. The Broncos' 109-79 victory over the Cougars was their highest point total against a conference opponent since Feb. 10, 1979 (113 vs. Saint Mary's) and their most scored on the road since dropping 111 at Pepperdine on Feb. 19, 1972. 

Going back to the victory at Gonzaga, which was Santa Clara's first inside the McCarthey Athletics Center since 2007. The win was SCU's first over a ranked opponent in a road game since Dec. 4, 1993 (No. 13 Cal) and was the first time that SCU defeated Gonzaga in consecutive seasons since 1999-00 and 2000-01. 

The 2024-25 season culminated with Santa Clara hosting the first and second rounds of the NIT. They defeated UC Riverside in the opening round for their first win in the NIT since 1984. Three Broncos were named All-WCC with Adama-Alpha Bal repeating as a first team pick and Carlos Stewart Jr. and Christoph Tilly earning second team honors. 

In 2023-24, Santa Clara posted a 20-13 overall record - their fourth 20-win season over the last five years - and finished fourth in the WCC standings with a 10-6 record. Of those 20 wins, four came against teams that would go on to win at least one game in the NCAA Tournament. The most notable victory by-far came on Jan. 11 when the Broncos took down No. 21/23 Gonzaga, 77-76, inside the Leavey Center. It was Santa Clara's first win over the Zags since 2011 and their second victory over a ranked opponent in the last three years after previously losing 43-straight against ranked teams. The Broncos also posted a 3-1 mark against Pac-12 teams, defeating Stanford for the second-straight time in addition to victories over Oregon and Washington State on neutral grounds. Adama-Alpha Bal earned first team All-WCC and second team All-NABC honors while Carlos Marshall, Jr. and Christoph Tilly were All-WCC honorable mention nods and Jake Ensminger earned a spot on the league's All-Freshman team. 

The 2022-23 season as a whole was among the best of the Sendek Era. The team won 23 games, all in the regular season, which not only is the most of Sendek’s tenure, but ranks as the fourth-most in program history. The Broncos were 11-5 in WCC play to finish third in the standings for the second-consecutive year, and their 11 league wins were the most for SCU since 1994-95 when the Broncos were WCC regular-season champions with a 12-2 record.

Santa Clara closed the 2022-23 regular season on a seven-game win streak – their longest since 1997-98 – and made a second-consecutive postseason appearance in the NIT. The Broncos swept BYU in the regular season for the first time since 1961-62, which included their first win in Provo since 1972. Podziemski became the first Bronco since 2008 (John Bryant) to earn WCC Player of the Year honors in addition to being named the WCC Newcomer of the Year. He was one of three players to earn All-WCC honors along with Carlos Stewart (1^st) and Keshawn Justice (2^nd).

The 2021-22 season saw the Broncos finish the year with a 21-12 record while earning a bid to the NIT for the program's first postseason appearance in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT since 1996. Among those 21 wins was victory No. 500 for Sendek’s illustrious career. The team posted a 10-5 mark in league play and closed the regular season with a 12-3 record over the final 15 games to lock up third place in the WCC standings – SCU’s best finish in league play since 2006-07.

Among the many highlights of 2021-22 was the Broncos breaking a streak of 43 consecutive losses to Associated Press top-25 teams. Sendek guided the Broncos to a 77-72 victory over No. 22 Saint Mary’s on Feb. 8^th in the Leavey Center to give SCU their first victory over a ranked opponent since 2004. Led by All-WCC performers Jalen Williams, Josip Vrankic and Keshawn Justice, the Broncos also had marquee victories over Stanford, TCU, Nevada and BYU (first time since 2017) and finished the year ranked 11^th nationally in field goal percentage (48.4) and 16^th in 3-point shooting percentage (37.8). Santa Clara was one of just four teams to produce two first team All-WCC performers (Williams and Vrankic) at seasons end.  

In the shortened 2020-21 campaign, despite navigating Covid-19 restrictions and a relocation for more than six weeks to practice and play in Santa Cruz, Calif., the Broncos were able to post a 12-8 record, which included winning their opening two games in the WCC Tournament for the first time since 2003-04.

In 2019-20, Sendek guided the program to its first 20-win campaign in seven years and only the fourth in the previous 19 seasons. The team also had a historic run at home as it continued a 17-game winning streak, which is the third-longest in school history and the most ever in Toso Pavilion/Leavey Center. Despite players missing nearly 80 total games to injury, the Broncos, who did not feature a senior on the roster, downed Washington State and Cal, which gave them a pair of victories against the Pac-12 Conference in back-to-back years for the first time in school history. Three players earned All-WCC honors at the end of the season highlighted by Vrankic (second team) and Jaden Bediako (all-freshman).

Sendek and his staff navigated through an injury-filled 2018-19 season to post a 16-15 overall mark, including two wins over Pac-12 schools (USC and Washington State) for the first time since 1997-98. Six players missed time, including three (KJ Feagin, Matt Hauser and Juan Ducasse) who combined to suit up for only two games. With a starting lineup that featured two sophomores (Vrankic and Tahj Eaddy) and two freshmen (Trey Wertz and Guglielmo Caruso), the Broncos still managed to finish tied for fifth in the WCC. Wertz was voted to the WCC All-Freshman team, Eaddy claimed a second-team nod and Vrankic earned all-league honorable mention.

Despite having seven players miss more than a combined 70 games due to injury, Santa Clara posted a 17-16 record in 2016-17, Sendek’s first at the helm, and reached the WCC Tournament semifinals for the first time in six years. Sendek led the Broncos to a five-game overall improvement, tied for the best in the league with Gonzaga at the conclusion of the WCC Tournament. The Broncos, who were tied for fourth in the conference standings, finished above .500 in league play for just the third time in the last 10 years, including first since 2012-13. They also had the best turnaround in league play with a three-game improvement (7-11 in 2015-16).

Sendek has one of the more impressive coaching trees in NCAA D1 with nine former assistants, administrative assistants or graduate assistants currently serving as head coaches (see chart below). Additionally, there are nine other former head coaches who served under Sendek – Jim Christian (Boston College, Kent State, TCU, Ohio), the late Charlie Coles (Miami (Oh), Central Michigan), Larry Hunter (Western Carolina, Ohio), the late Dave Manzer (Messiah College), Barret Peery (Portland State), Scott Pera (Rice), Mark Phelps (Drake), Lamont Smith (San Diego) and James Whitford (Ball State).

Prior to arriving at Santa Clara, Sendek served nine seasons (2006-15) at Arizona State, posting five 20-win campaigns and making five postseason appearances, including two trips to the NCAAs for a program which had only three in the previous 25 years. In addition, the Sun Devils produced just three 20-win campaigns in the prior 25 seasons to his arrival.

Sendek, who posted a 159-137 (.537) record at the school, led ASU to three straight 20-win seasons - 2007-08 (21-13), 2008-09 (25-10) and 2009-10 (22-11) - which had not happened since 1961-63. He was the Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2009-10 when the Sun Devils went 25-10.

Sendek had a very successful 10-year tenure (1996-2006) at North Carolina State, which finished with five straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including four with at least one victory.

He amassed a 191-132 (.591) mark with the Wolfpack, earning 2003-04 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. In his final five seasons, NCSU won 53 league games, with only Duke totaling more (76) in that time frame.

Sendek earned his first head-coaching job at Miami University when he was just 30 years old. He led the now RedHawks to the postseason in each of his three seasons (1993-96) and his winning percentage (.708/63-26) remains first in school history (minimum three years).

After winning the 1994-95 MAC regular-season title, Miami (Ohio) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where Sendek's 12th-seeded squad defeated No. 5 seed (and 15th-ranked) Arizona before losing to 13th-ranked and fourth-seeded Virginia in overtime.

He is the only coach ever to lead Miami to postseason play in each of his first three seasons, and he reached 50 victories quicker than any other coach at the school.

After finishing at Carnegie Mellon University in 1985, which included a stint as a volunteer assistant at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, Sendek began an eight-year stint as a Division I assistant coach.

He served as an assistant coach at Providence College for four years (1985-89), starting under Rick Pitino and helping the Friars earn a trip to the 1987 Final Four. He spent his final season under head coach Rick Barnes with the Friars again landing in the NCAA Tournament.

With a reputation as a standout recruiter, Sendek joined Pitino at Kentucky for the 1989-90 season and remained for four years. Sports Illustrated named him one of the top 10 recruiters in the nation during 1992-93, which ended in a Final Four run for the Wildcats.

Coming off two years probation, Kentucky also made a trip to the 1992 Elite Eight, a run that ended in overtime against Duke on the famous Grant Hill-to-Christian Laettner last-second inbounds heave.

In addition to his on-court success, Sendek, who graduated from college with 3.95 grade-point average, has stressed academics. While at Arizona State, the program had a 100-percent senior graduation rate and the top graduation success rate in the Pac-12. He inherited a team with Academic Progress Rate (APR) scholarship penalties and posted a perfect 1,000 score in five reporting years, including each of the final four (2010-11 through 2013-14).

Four Arizona State players earned master's degrees in Sendek's final three seasons and six former players came back to finish their studies.

Sendek was one of only three coaches who had NBA first-round picks in both the 2005 and 2006 drafts, and then followed that up in 2009 with a top-three pick (Harden at No. 3) and the first pick of the second round (Jeff Pendergraph). Jahii Carson earned Pac-12 Co-Freshman of the Year in 2012-13, while Jordan Bachynski was the 2013-14 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Sendek is the co-author of Gen Y Now – Millennials and the Evolution of Leadership and is a member of the NCAA Ethics Coalition. He and his wife, Melanie, have three daughters - Kristin, Catherine and Kelly.                                                                                                                                                                            

^served as grad assistant