Inside the unbelievable rise of Gonzaga basketball: ‘It’s never been done’

Every option had to be explored. Every suggestion had to be considered. Gonzaga couldn’t afford to do business as usual. In 1998, Gonzaga couldn’t afford much. The small school in Spokane, Wash., was getting smaller, suffering a 33 percent decline in undergraduate enrollment that decade. Deficits rose sharply, resulting in unavoidable layoffs.  “We hit a…