Meet Kevin Young: BYU's NBA-Experienced Head Basketball Coach

With players threatening transfer, recruits decommitting and the program in flux, BYU basketball has decided to act quickly.

Tuesday morning, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe named Kevin Young as the Cougars new head basketball coach.

“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.”

Young is currently the associate head coach for the Phoenix Suns and will continue in that role while the Suns pursue an NBA title this postseason.

Young, who was born in Salt Lake City, will also begin working on retaining current BYU players, contacting recruits and assembling a coaching staff immediately. He is considered one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NBA, having worked with Kevin Durrant, Devin Booker and Joel Embiid during stints with the Suns and Philadelphia 76ers.

BYU received word today that blue chip signee Collin Chandler has decommitted to BYU, choosing to follow former BYU head coach Mark Pope to the University of Kentucky.

Starters Dallin Hall and Aly Khalifa and reserve Richie Saunders have entered the transfer portal, all saying the uncertainty at the head of the basketball program spurred the decisions.

And while all three have said returning to BYU is a possibility, dependent on the new head coach, none have made a statement as of noon on Tuesday.

Young's first item of business will likely be to try and convince the trio to return to the program.

Young has coached overseas (Ireland) and has spent time in the NBA's D-League. He also was an assistant for one year under Pope at Utah Valley University.

KDXU broadcasts BYU basketball through the BYU Basketball Network with the voice of the Cougars, Greg Wrubell.

The Cougars went 23-11 last season, recording a 10-8 record in their first season in the Big 12 Conference.

Pope, who was 110-52 in five years as the head coach at BYU, accepted the head coach position at Kentucky last week, returning to the place he won a National Championship as a player in 1996.

Click here to read the entire press release from BYU.

BYU Athletics