BYU taps Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young as head coach
BYU officially has their replacement for Mark Pope. The Cougars announced that Phoenix Suns lead assistant coach Kevin Young has accepted the position as head coach of the BYU basketball program.
“We are excited to announce Kevin as our new head men’s basketball coach and welcome him and his family to BYU,” Holmoe said. “We had a variety of excellent candidates and a lot of interest in this position. Kevin is someone we have had our eye on for a while. He has risen to the top of NBA assistant coaching ranks. He has been a lead candidate for NBA head coaching jobs and has been instrumental in developing top-level NBA talent. Kevin will bring a new perspective, with an extensive NBA background to our program. He is a phenomenal fit at BYU. He is humble, fun and super intelligent. Cougar Nation is going to love getting to know Kevin,” BYU athletics director Tom Holmoe said in a press release.
Young had been considered a finalist for the head coach position of the Brooklyn Nets. Last night, news broke that the Nets would move in a different direction. Things materialized quickly after that and now Young is on his way to Provo. He will continue with the Suns throughout their playoff run, but will also begin his work as BYU’s head coach. Among the first priorities is to assemble a coaching staff and retain the current roster.
Robby McCombs of Vanquish the Foe reports that Chris Burgess and Barret Peery are both targets for assistants on BYU’s staff. Cougar Sports Insider can confirm those reports as well.
Dallin Hall, Richie Saunders, and Aly Khalifa have already entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and Young will immediately begin working to get those players back to BYU. His recruiting abilities are untested, but he will be thrown into the fire right away. He has a compelling pitch to make to these players. He has been the ‘offensive coordinator’ with the Suns and has the respect of players like Devin Booker. When it comes to Xs and Os, Young can hang with anyone and that could resonate for BYU players.
Young has coached in the NBA G League, Europe and the NBA. This is his first major position at the college level. There will be a learning curve when it comes to recruiting and working within NCAA rules, but if Young can figure those things out quickly, he could be a home run for the Cougars.
