Hour one of DJ & PK for April 18, 2024:
• Kevin Young with PK and Yawk
• Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
• Kevin Young Press Conference
good morning DJ and PK it’s 975 The Zone
welcome in on a Thursday morning we got
a lot going on college basketball NBA
basketball hockey the Arizona coyote
season came to a close they beat
Edmonton last night the fans were
standing and chanting and hugging and it
went on and on it’s emotional you know
they’ve been there almost three decades
um and now they’re moving the official
Bo vote of the Board of Governors comes
up today at o00 mountain time and the
last time I saw something like this it
was the Utah Regents voting to move from
uh the Pack 12 to the Big 12 and that La
that meeting lasted like four or five
minutes it was over so fast I assume
this Board of Governors will work the
same way they’re losing money and they
got revenue sharing and Arizona’s
playing at 5,000 seat Arena and they
don’t want him to keep playing there and
keep writing checks to support the team
so they’re going to move uh Ryan Smith
spoke at a symposium and dropped the
line I’m paraphrasing a little bit but
he said you know you can’t believe
everything you read on the not
everything you read on the internet is
true but this is mostly true so it’s
pretty much uh as hot rod once famously
said it’s almost all over the yeah there
so uh have the vote and it’s sad to
watch teams move and the fans were
crushed there
but I’m sure the fans were crushed in
Winnipeg when they moved to Arizona 27
years ago 28 years ago and uh you know
it was just is just cursed in Arizona I
mean seven different ownerships I mean a
new ownership group every four years no
wonder they could never get the arena no
wonder anyone no one ever trusted them I
mean that amount of just turnover and
change and craziness and it’s just uh
it’s not good and that’s a big part of
why they’re moving again I guess and
then watching the Chargers and the
Clippers move moves moves are always
lousy they always are and this one is
too it’ll be good for Utah um but if
we’re Happening Here everybody would be
super depressed so they just suck but
that is the way this one is going to
play out and the Board of Governors will
have their vote at 1:00 mountain time
and then we’ll move on from there
presumably a press conference tomorrow
we’ll see how that all plays out uh the
NBA news couple stories Philly beats
Miami so Philadelphia is the seven seed
and the 76ers will open the playoffs in
New York against the two seed the Knicks
and that feels like a bad draw for the
Knicks cuz Philly is much better than a
seven seed when they have MBI which
right now they do if they don’t have
them well we saw the losses pile up but
man you’re number two and your reward
isn’t I mean this is essentially a
second round series you know is
this but it’s it’s the way they go for
the playoffs it’s the luck of the
draw we’ll see how well the Knicks and
Sixers handle that having a match up in
the first round um and then Miami loses
to Philly and Jimmy Butler hurts his
knee the reports are it’s an MCL well
that means he’s out until next season so
Miami’s not going much of anywhere but
we’ll sort out the rest of the playoffs
here the the West we get the last
playoff birth tonight Sacramento is at
New Orleans so we’ll find out how that
goes all right the big news in Provo
BYU’s got a new basketball coach the new
head coach Kevin young uh did a Q&A they
had BYU TV show then he did a bunch of
interviews some with BYU TV and then
different groups came through local TV
local radio local newspaper some of the
local Utah County media there were at
least four sessions um and went on and
on Kevin young Phoenix son’s assistant
coach and uh it turns out he’s got a uh
relationship with Danny a he goes back
about a decade He got interviewed for a
g-league job that he didn’t that he
didn’t get hired for um but it started
the relationship with a he says a has
been great to him and uh he was
interviewed
for the job with the Jazz that
ultimately went to Will Hardy and now he
gets the B job he’s got a brother who
works at qualtrix and and has built a
bond with Ryan there so you know the
families know each other so it’s uh you
know the old saying it’s not what you
know it’s who you know it’s a little
overstated I mean you have to know stuff
you know you have to know but man people
hire people they know H have a
relationship have an in have a
connection is otherwise it’s a lot
harder to get hired in any job including
coaching so you want to hear from the
coach here he is Kevin Young
uh and this is the radio group of
interview you’ll hear PK you’ll hear
Kevin Reynolds and you hear our own Jake
hatch Yak here they are talking with
Kevin young What attracted you you to
this job in the first place because I
know you had NBA options as a potential
head coach yeah um kind of what I was
talking about in there I mean I’d say
the overall scope of the position in
terms of um how good um the situation is
here in terms of the resources the Big
12 uh this sustainability to win at and
for do it for a long time you know
family reasons uh being able to give my
My Wife and Kids a little bit more
stability that the NBA life doesn’t
offer was a was a huge component and
then again to be able to do it you know
in an environment where uh you know the
church and the school are are aligned
and and my family’s aligned with that
that that really was a huge factor in it
when you go when you navigate the
transfer portal and kind of get into
that world is there any colleges that
you’ve looked at or staffs that you’ve
looked at you think that are doing it
well and maybe you can emulate yeah so
as I’m talking about um Staffing I’m
trying to find guys who’ve had success
with that portion of it um and I’m I’m
I’m making making some Headway with with
some guys there you know it’s such an
inaugural or integral part of of success
in today’s landscape so definitely
tapping into people that have done it at
other programs when you’re a college
head co head coach you take on virtually
every hat that could possibly be worn as
far as you know your own GM you’re a dad
and and sometimes you’re a babysitter
and recruiting really I mean every coach
I’ve been doing this for 40 years and
they tell me that it’s
24/7 and I know the travel is far more
brutal in the NBA but there’s some
things you don’t have to deal with that
you have to deal with here how are you
going to be prepared for it’s just such
an all-encompassing job now yeah I
learned that pretty quickly on day one
of the job um you know like I said I was
on the phone non-stop but you know I
knew it was going to be part of it and
and uh yeah the NBA is obviously much
more about just basketball but there’s
still so many things you have to do in
the NBA too I mean the travel thing is
one of those and that’s such a timec
consuming component of the job but you
know I’ll be able to that’s why again I
go back to the staff it’s such a huge
piece to be able to insulate myself with
people that are Elite at navigating the
college landscape from the recruiting
standpoint nil standpoint academic
standpoint and all the things that come
with it and I’m well aware of the the
figurehead role that I’m in and um but
when you’re running your own program um
that that comes with the territory and
so I’m just going to embrace it dive
into it and uh you know just enjoy the
the the challenge that it presents
building up uh Kevin’s question about
the recruiting aspect you have a brother
who’s been in the recruiting game for a
long time how big of a resource can he
be for you yeah no he’s been he he’s
always been a huge resource for me
honestly even when I got my first head
coaching job in the old g- League uh you
know he helped me with some staffing
things there uh you know he’s he’s my
big brother you know so he’s we’re super
close he’s super dialed in with the
whole Grassroots scene and knows
everybody in the space so he’ll be a
massive resource for me and uh you know
look forward to tapping into that as
much as I can throughout the interview
process how much did you guys talk about
the N infrastructure here and did you
kind of emphasize that as in being
competitive and wanting to have like the
long stability that you’re talking about
yeah absolutely it’s one of my first
questions you know I had told someone
else earlier one of my best friends is
the head coach at St Joseph’s University
in Philly we were coaches together with
the 76ers and you know he was
unbelievable in terms of peppering me
with questions to ask the you know all
these guys to make sure I knew what I
was getting into but um that gave me a
ton of confidence the answers they were
giving me to those questions this place
wants to win and they have the backing
to do it and um it’s really exciting how
much do you think in the world of
recruiting that it will be an advantage
as you go out and talk to kids literally
across the country country and maybe
internationally big man hey you know I
might want to you might want to talk to
this guy and that guy just happens to be
embiid or shooting guard hey maybe you
want to talk to this guy and it happens
to be Deon Booker because obviously you
can use those guys within the rules as
resources how much you think that’s an
advantage I think it’s a huge Advantage
you know if if guys have aspiration to
play in the NBA that’s what we’re going
that’s what this place is going to be
about and I don’t know if you’re going
to find a
better place in the country that it’s
going to Foster that and so absolutely
going to lean into those environments
but I wouldn’t be able to lean into
those if I didn’t have good
relationships with those guys that I
coach and books been incredible you know
I love I love him you know he’s been
awesome to me we have a really good
thing going so you know I look forward
to tying him into it I guess he’s now
calling his
place KY k k yeah here we go uh now that
that was a nice little play on words out
of him but that was pretty funny one
more question yeah last thing for me is
just with regards this University had a
pretty good season all things consider
they picked 13 out of 14 the preseason
Poll finished fifth in the Big 12 what’s
your overarching ambition for this
program to achieve while you’re the head
coach here you know the ultimate goal is
to win a National Championship and when
you’re in the Big 12 and you have all
the resources that this place offers I
mean that that is the ultimate goal um
in terms of what they did last year I
mean it’s a credit to Mark and his staff
and all those players that hopefully are
wearing BYU uniforms in this coming up
season but um yeah it was remarkable
what they did so I’m just honestly
trying to build on that and take it to
another level there is BYU coach Kevin
young we’re going to hear his comments
from the media Q&A coming up later this
hour but next Dwayne Rankin covers the
Phoenix Suns and he joined PK and I and
we will get to that next stay with us
djm PK is proudly presented by Murdoch
Chevrolet serving Utah since
1926 uh late in yesterday’s show PK and
I talked with Dwayne Rankin covers the
Phoenix Suns down in Arizona Knows Kevin
young has interacted with him what is
Kevin young like well we talked with
Dwayne about that late in yesterday’s
show we’ll Replay that for you right now
Dwayne good
morning good morning sir everybody and
everything moving from Phoenix to Salt
Lake I never thought I would say that
but apparently here comes a hockey team
and definitely here comes a basketball
coach starting to see a trend here I
guess the first question for you is we
don’t know Kevin young at all how well
do you know him and how much can you
tell us about him well first off uh he
was the player development coach for
Devin Booker so that’s a initial start
to what he has been with the Suns
franchise he was uh on the staff that
when the Suns went to the finals in 2021
so that’s uh proven in situations of
coaching underman Williams um you know
he had a situation where he came in and
made an immediate
impact he’s a young guy in his 40s and
uh he’s got a little kick to him too
when he was in the G League I remember
him getting into it with some uh I think
it was with another coach um it’s on
YouTube if you guys want mus I think it
was muscleman yeah yeah with muscleman
so so he got a little kick to it he
actually got into it uh I think it was
uh the Pelicans in a game against the
Pelicans when it broke out after Zion
Williams had a breakaway three at the
end uh and then he he was barking during
the uh series
Denver last year on the sideline when
Durant uh pushed yage away and Kevin was
in involved he got his stuck his nose in
that so he he’s got some kick he’s he’s
kind of laidback when you talk to him
but uh he gets after it in that sense
but as as far as his ability to coach
when you’ve coached in the G League all
you got to do is look at the history of
the G League of guys that have came
through that and been successful IE Nick
nurse IE Taylor Jenkins those go were
guys that made that made that made that
travel to the league and uh and Kevin uh
he he he was making that trajectory like
you know he had been on several uh
interviews been a finalist for several
NBA head coaching jobs so I think
eventually he would have gotten one but
obviously the opportunity came to go
back home he’s from Salt Lake of course
uh the coach uh coach BYU and he he took
it a long-term deal and uh you know I
think it’s a move for him that you know
that fits in terms of him being back
home and and BYU the coaches when you
look at Frank vogo and James Jones
yesterday just raving about what Young
brings I’m I’m curious to see
offensively what they look like uh
because he in Phoenix you know they ran
you know they ran they ran pin downs and
obviously movement and uh but you know
you got one-on-one players here so you
know it could it kind of bog down
sometimes would just give the ball to
Durant Booker and beill let him go do
something I don’t know if at that level
he has guys like that so I’m curious to
see if what that looks like outside of
uh if he has any of those plans in mind
but from from what I from what I’ve seen
him him and talk with him uh you know
he’s got an offense that that’s beyond
what we’re seeing now um and so I’m
curious to see what that is um at BYU
but uh um someone that uh you know have
been have been in the running like I
said for a lot of NBA head coaching jobs
so uh BYU’s got a good one so his
specialty is offense then yes yes yeah
yeah he’s an offensive he especially is
an offensive is an offensive coach but I
think the but I I speak of just on the
uh the attitude part of him you know
being uh someone that’s highly
competitive I speak on that just because
I think that might translate on
defensive side yeah cuz that’s pretty
much what that is you know can you keep
the man in front of you uh have have an
idea of hey look I’m not letting you
score and so I think I think that you
might see that part of him come out um
on the defensive side of the ball that’s
that’s one of the reason I bringing up
he he he he and I have never went back
and forth like that
so but but he he he had some kick to him
and uh I think that’ll be interesting
see how that translates to the college
level Dwayne Ranken Phoenix Suns
reporter and Insider for the Arizona
Republic joining us here to talk about
Kevin young former son’s assistant now
BYU’s head
coach obviously when you go to coaching
you got to deal with recruiting that’s a
different Beast maybe it’s not quite as
different a beast with nil but it’s
still a different Beast what kind of uh
you know personality does he have so
much of that you college coaches have to
uh charm the kids before they get them
to practice and start yelling at them I
think his demeanor will will go over
well with with with with young
players and and and with parents because
like I said he’s not in your when when
you’re just speaking with him when
you’re just talking to him he’s not a
you know not all loud you know but but
he but he’s
commanding um and and the other part of
that he again he can go in any uh house
right now and say I coach that I coach
Devin Booker I coach Kevin rent I
coached Bradley Bill I coached Chris
Paul uh I was on a staff that had Joel
andb like he can go and literally say
that and that’ll get their attention
right out the box so so so so when you
looking at just that alone that’s a good
starting point and then like I say like
I said when you when you’re speaking
with him he has a real uh you know low
you know
laidback um demeanor like I said that
has command it’s not like it’s laidback
and you can’t hear him it’s like it’s is
laidback but he had a voice to him and
and uh and and I’ve seen him uh recently
um at a practice it was uh on a road
trip and it like five out of six threes
so he can get into some shooting
competitions with with guys and and
probably will win win win his share uh
so he can still play a little bit played
in college a little bit but he can still
play so uh so that’s that that to me
that’ll go over well too you know you
know I’m you know 15 16 and I’m and my
head coach is splashing threes I’m like
okay you know that that are earning some
points uh with with some guys so but
again he he got he’s got to learn in
ilil and he’s got to rush up on that
because he’s not going to officially
officially officially start with BYU
until after the playoffs and if the Suns
make a deep run you know it’s going to
be time where he probably going to be
doing both you know he’s going to be
doing both anyway but it it’s going to
be
where he has to handle certain things
for BYU and then obviously do his job
you know coaching the Sun so it’s going
to be a lot there but he he’s probably
getting a crash course on what needs to
be done in that sense so uh you know so
so it’s it’s a he’s going he’s went he
it’s going to be sped up probably faster
than maybe what he imagined but uh but
as far as players uh I think he’ll get
along with with with guys well in terms
of and with families I think that’s
obviously important you have to connect
with parents and I think he’ll be a guy
that does that BYU fans then I assume
would be uh Minnesota Timberwolves fans
to get Kevin Young on the job as soon as
possible and you know I grew up in
Phoenix graduated from ASU so I’ve been
follow my family hardcore Suns fans so I
follow them obviously to an extent and
we know that they’ve had an up and down
season and had 10 games that were tough
at the end they closed seven and three
but one of those I think they were down
what uh 50 to two or something that’s an
exaggeration against the Clippers but
was against the Clippers 35 to four okay
it felt like 50 to2 uh so and they got
all this talent and Grayson Allen had a
banner here going to be financially
rewarded I mean what do you think is
about their chances because they really
haven’t had any level of consistency but
maybe you can argue it took be all this
time and they’re playing their best ball
now well on top of that they’re playing
a team that they’ve had success against
in the first round yep they they swept
this regular season Series and won the
games fairly convincingly the closest
margin was 10 and they held Minnesota
the 87 points in that game they scored
133 the first time they played this last
one they were up 22 in the first quarter
it’s a bad matchup for the Timberwolves
not saying Timberwolves can’t win the
series but if you just basing it off of
what you saw in the regular season this
is a challenging matchup for Minnesota
so um wouldn’t be surprised that the
Suns
Advanced the next round would be either
Lakers or
nuggets that’s a little more challenging
although the crazy part about that is is
that the Suns went two and one against
the nuggets and they won the last two
games against the Lakers after the first
three games were within the first month
and a half uh they played their third
game against the Lakers in December so
they had they hadn’t played him in the
Wild and the last few times they played
them they they won both games so you can
make an argument that the Suns if they
play at their
best uh could make it to the Western
Conference Finals or because they’ve
been so
inconsistent to lose in the first
round this is such high stakes because
they are paying so much money to some
guys and that you know Durant I mean I
don’t think he’s going to be Tom Brady
at the top of his game at 44 and 45 so
this is it now they said the right
things are they really happy with him
taking his this job or it it’s all
business and the timing is what it is
and everybody just rolls with it or is
there a little bit I can’t believe he’s
bailing out on us right now this is when
it really matters how’s this going over
I just I guess the way I look at it is
you know
Kevin he was the hold over from for from
William
staff and when you’re the hold over I
mean they you know they they they paid
him you know for him to stay U he got
more he’s getting more than 2 million a
year obviously he’s getting much more at
BYU but um you know they they they paid
him to to and he’s he’s just part of the
he was a part of the transition you know
they’re bringing a new staff trying to
figure out what to do get the bearings
together um obviously he was uh you know
on the offense in in that sense but I I
don’t think it’s uh upset that he’s
leaving uh you know because I mean he
he’s staying with him through the
playoffs for one and then
two I think that Kevin was trying to get
another job anyway you know it’s not
like it’s not like they were like oh you
know why are you no he was already
trying to get an NBA head coaching job
so
when you’re in this business you you’re
not you should you know you don’t look
at it as or you shouldn’t look at it as
hey you know why are you leaving it
should be okay you know we we we we did
our part to help him get an opportunity
to to to be a head coach and so that’s
how it should be viewed and I believe in
a lot of respect that is how it’s being
viewed by the by the son I don’t sense
them being upset I hear what you guys
guys are saying they said all the right
things yesterday you know he he’s been
great to us and and we’re happy for him
and I believe all those things to be
true but I don’t think they you know
there I don’t get the sense that they’re
upset that he’s that he’s leaving I get
the sense that that you know
they’re they look at this and go okay
this is an opportunity for him to go
back home and um and and be a part of
something and and with BYU and obviously
uh this is a great time to go there
considering what they’re doing with the
conference and so this is this is this
is a ideal situation in terms of uh him
getting this chance and and there have
been NBA assistants that have gone on to
uh be College head coaches so the move
is not a shock in terms of when you
think of it like that so I I don’t sense
them being upset at all to be completely
honest we know that the Brooklyn head
coaching job was a possibility we’ve
heard Charlotte and then a in his uh
postseason wrapup mentioned that he had
interviewed Kevin for a potential spot
with the Jazz so that’s at least three
it seems like momentum was moving in the
direction of him becoming an NBA head
coach with that in mind whether it was
this year next year or whatever are you
have do you have any level of surprise
that he said I’ll take the college head
coaching
job if it wasn’t going back home yes but
I think I think that draw I don’t I
think sometimes
people you know I’m not speaking of
anyone specific but I just think
sometimes people don’t realize the the
the importance of being in a familiar
surrounding um that that can really that
can make you uh you know look at
opportunities that maybe you wouldn’t
look at anywhere else
and I think that’s part part of it and
then there is there’s
also there’s also usually this
window for guys you know that that are
getting these interviews and getting
these head coaching interviews and
there’s a window there’s a window that
that that like a year window maybe it’s
three years maybe it’s four years um jar
Nega was is a perfect example like there
was a time when he was an assistant in
ball his name was out there for every
head coaching job every head coaching
job and then uh here recently you know
he was out of that out of that window so
there was a window right now for for for
Kevin young and he could have stayed and
and probably uh got another OPP
opportunity uh you know interview he
could have stayed and did that but um
but also look I mean if you just look at
you know teams and and and and things of
that nature with the league um you know
when you you know when you see how it
changes so quickly you know there’s
something also to be said about
stability and based on what I’ve you
know heard and about the contract at BYU
there’s some stability there and so uh
you know he’s got a family so there’s a
lot that goes
into okay I’m making this decision and I
think that a lot of factors led into it
outside
of being a head coach so so so you have
to take all those things I think into
account when you look at you know well
why wouldn’t he stick around and try to
get an NBA head coaching job and if he
does well at this level uh that might be
there for him later so it isn’t like
that that door is shut now because he’s
coaching College um you know that that
door is still going to be there people
will look at him and go he coached XYZ
or he coached in the NBA number of years
so that’s not out that’s not out of the
realm of him getting back in because
guys have done it you know they they’ve
coached the NBA coached in college back
to the NBA so and he’s got age on his
side yeah yeah he’s not he’s not not you
know I love him for it but he’s not Greg
papovich age you know what I mean
gotcha he he this guy is this young guy
I mean you know so he he he could easily
be right back in uh and I think it’s
good for him in terms of it’s your show
you know he’s been running somebody
else’s show it’s it was about time for
him to start running his and um you know
he and I just have recently just talked
about that like is it time this was like
maybe a week and a half ago we just talk
I said I was like hey is it time time
for you
to you know is it and uh he was he was
just you know he was just he wasn’t you
know like yeah yeah yeah it’s time no he
wasn’t saying that but you know he was
just kind of you know nodding like hey
you know it’s it’s time and and clearly
him going to beu is indication of that
he’s Dwayne Ranken Phoenix Suns reporter
and Insider for the Arizona Republic
Dwayne we appreciate a few minutes and
if you hear of anybody else in the World
of Sports moving North to Salt Lake give
us a heads up all right
I’ll let them know talk to you guys
first all right thank thank you Dwayne
all right guys there’s Dwayne Rankin
when we have when we come back you’re
going to hear from Kevin young the uh
full media Q&A at his press conference
on the floor of the marot center that is
coming up next right here on the Zone
good morning DJ and pkss 975 The Zone a
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expertise all right they had a press
conference a welcome for Kevin Young on
the floor of the Marriott Center and
we’ll let you listen into to his
comments and the questions he takes from
the media right now right here on the
Zone wow this is exciting for me and my
family just uh I don’t know when you’re
doing everything on the phone and you’re
and and you’re not here to feel the
energy and and just feel this building
um when you step foot in here even my my
kids um that this place is going to be
rocking we’re going to get this thing
rolling so um excited to be here I I
really want to first start by thanking a
couple people um Brian Tom president ree
Keith um that force and when we met um
it was it got clear pretty quickly um
that this was going to be something that
me and my wife were going to be have to
make uh an amazing decision to join and
it became obvious pretty quickly as we
were talking about how amazing this
place is um I’ll speak to that a little
bit more but I really want to thank you
four guys in particular as we went
through the process um as president
mentioned I got a lot of my family here
I want to first thank my wife she’s been
my rock for 13 years and the coaching
world is one uh that’s not easy on
families it’s not easy raising little
ones and we got three of them Jude van
and Zoe have been right there with us
for for a good majority of it so excited
that they’re here with us too and then
my mom and dad and all my siblings are
here as well so um I’m one of six and
and and even Aaron what’s up dude
haven’t seen you uh even BYU Alum I
might add so he he’s here Meg hey um and
my couple my my nieces too so it’s a
really special day for our family and uh
certainly don’t take it lightly so I
also want to thank a few other people
that that have been really instrumental
in in in me getting here um you know
James Jones and Matt ishp with the
Phoenix Sons and Coach vogle who I’m
working for now Monty Williams who’s
been a huge mentor of mine and is uh an
outstanding guy and funny enough opened
up every meeting with an opening prayer
true story for the last couple years in
Phoenix so pretty used to that um Brett
Brown who hired me in Philadelphia is
one of my greatest mentors um and a
couple people that got me to Utah in the
first place brand Anderson and Joe Brown
um coach hunsaker at Utah Valley who I
worked for and then U so many other
people that I can get to but I I
definitely want to shout that group out
um where I really want to start this
thing with is the Players okay these
guys were the first ones I I saw when I
got into this building the the things
that you guys were able to I just told
all of them so in the locker room the
things you guys were able to accomplish
first year here in the Big 12 absolutely
remarkable um cannot wait to have every
one of you guys back in a BYU uniform
and get to it that was one yes let’s
that and so that make no mistake about
that’s my first priority is those guys
and I can’t I’ve already started
building relationships with those guys
and um we’re going to take that part of
it to to a whole another level that’s if
if I’ve learned anything in in the NBA
it’s it’s about this whole thing is
about relationships I’ve been able to
build some with some of the best players
in the world um currently still working
with those guys and hoping to take them
to to somewhere they haven’t been yet um
in this playoff run but that’s what it’s
all about is those relationship so those
guys heard me talk about it a few
minutes ago and look forward to that um
with that being said this is a new
challenge for me you know I’ve been I’ve
been on a different side of basketball
all of my career and I
as I went through the process um getting
to this decision the the excitement I
had for the new challenge at hand in
terms of transition into the college
world coming from the world I was in got
me extremely excited the more I started
to wrap my head around what that looks
like and the thing that really moved the
needle for me and my wife was the
environment that we’re going to be doing
in here at BYU what this University
stands for what the mission of this
University is um I’m a lifelong member
of the church um so so to be able to do
what I love at the highest level from a
career standpoint and blend that with my
faith and being able to do it my wife
and my three little ones that’s why we
came here okay that’s why we came
here and uh that’s really special so on
top of that man the thing that’s blown
me away um is just the level of support
from the athletic department from the
University from
many people the resources that that this
place has the fact that it’s in the Big
12 the highest level of college
basketball um there there was a lot of
things that played a role into me coming
here and that was one of the big ones uh
just a couple other things I wanted to
hit on before we before we move on to
some of the questions was I just want to
make it clear that I I coming from my
background and talking to to the players
you know a lot of guys have not a lot
all of them have ambition to play in the
NBA and I think with my background we’re
going to build we’re going to this this
is this is amazing place has been for a
long time what I want to do to take it
to the next level is make this place the
best place in college basketball to
prepare young men to play in the NBA and
I think with my background I think we’re
going to be able to get that done and I
really look forward to doing that
U and that what I’ve also learned really
quickly is because of the the history of
this school and this program and what
you guys have been able to accomplish
long before I showed up add in addition
with the resources in addition to uh
what the reputation of this school is
players want to play here i’ I’ve
learned that quickly players want to
play here and coaches want to coach here
and I’m in the process now putting
together a staff talking to a lot of
different people this is a very
desirable place to be I look forward to
teaming up with a lot of elite people
that we’re going to get in here to do
this staying together and U with that
let’s go
cougs Pike check um at this time we’ll
open things up for questions for the
media for Coach young um please raise
your hand if you have a question we’ll
bring the microphone to you please stand
state your name and your news Outlet uh
Patrick in hand KSL was it a hard
decision to come here knowing that maybe
at least for a temporary season or so
that and when I say season I don’t mean
literal I mean a time of life that the
NBA dream of being a head coach might be
put on
hold no not really once we once I
realized how special this place was um
you know it it became easier and easier
to be honest with you um and what I you
know I’ve known a lot of a lot of these
guys Tom and Brian like he said we go
back um some years but when um um when
President Reese and Keith came down and
we and we were talking um that moved the
needle quite heavily for me to be honest
with you as as it relates to the NBA and
and the dream and so forth truth be told
it’s never actually really been my dream
to be a head coach in the NBA I love
basketball I love working with young
players I love developing players I love
building relationships and again to be
able to do all those things at a place
that has the the the family atmosphere
that I so desired for my kids and my
wife to be around it really it actually
became a really easy Choice John
Associated Press um you know BYU’s had a
tradition last couple years of of having
kind of wide open offense emphasis on
three-point Shing what what’s your
philosophy in terms of offense and
defense that you plan to bring to
BYU yeah I mean you know I’ve been a
kind of my my label I so to speak in the
NBA world has been you know run the
offense of every team that I I’ve been a
part of and a lot of that’s been based
around you know where the NBA shifted to
which is kind of how BYU started has
played over the last couple years Fast
Pace getting up and down spreading the
floor out you know five out read and
react so there’s going to be a lot of
that you I was encourage encouraging our
guys to you know watch this this uh
series of the Suns and the and the uh t
t wolves to kind of take notes on how
we’re doing some things there um so
there’ll be some similarities with teams
coach in the NBA for sure but you know I
think I’m a I’m a modern thinker of the
game I want to push the envelope and um
analytically push the envelope you know
with shooting threes as you mentioned
and defensively that’s where I get
really excited because I’ve been able on
the offensive side so long in the NBA
you know you have you you see how Elite
defenses guard certain things and I’ve
been able to put together pretty um
extensive defensive background that with
the rules in college obviously being
different um I look forward to being
able to scheme and and get creative here
on that side of the ball as
well Lloyd Dy
Harold the college game may be closer to
the professional game than it’s ever
been at this point but it’s still
different what’s it like what do you
think it’s going to be like to adapt to
the challenges of nil transfer portal
all of those elements that that are a
little different in the college world
than they are in the NBA world yeah I
mean obviously that’s that what you just
spoke on the last bit there is the the
biggest difference the big thing for me
there number one great support here in
terms of
administration um how things are run
here that put me at I was scared of that
to be honest with you still am but um
being able to rely on the people that
are here and then that’s the huge
priority of me with the staff is having
people that I can surround myself with
that have an amazing grasp on that but
not just a grasp on it that our Elite at
at navigating those Waters that can
really help me uh do what I’m I think
I’m best at hi I’m Greg rubel I’m your
radio play by play guy all
right once upon a time you were part of
a couple of college coaching staffs what
excites you most about being back in the
college game generally and about being
at BYU
specifically so some of you guys know
might know some of my history maybe not
um I was not going to be the first time
I’ve I’ve lived in the area uh I coach
for the Utah flash which was the old
minor league of the Jazz I lived in fact
I lived in BYU housing and met my wife
while she was a student at BYU um so I’m
familiar with everything that’s going on
around here and I when I was doing that
that was during the gimmers era here I
remember coming to a game here I believe
it was against Wake Forest and that was
my first time ever coming to a game here
and uh that was the most incredible
atmosphere I’d been in at the college
level and so that’s what excites me the
passion the it’s crazy in here I mean
the video had me hype I was ready to get
these guys running suicides and get to
it right now but uh um yeah it’s just
different so for my kids they you know
my family my boys and and my daughter
Zoe you know they’re they haven’t
experienced that that passion really the
NBA you get it some but not not like it
it is here so that’s probably the thing
that excites me the most is just the
overall passion that this place has Matt
Bonte KSL News radio how do you plan on
juggling finishing up with the Phoenix
Suns and get getting started here
fantastic question it’s uh it’s it’s
going to be a challenge but I look
forward to it um because a lot of
special things that and relationships I
have with those guys down at Phoenix um
couple of them I’ve been with for four
years and two wins away from winning NBA
championship with with book in
particular uh he’s kind of the main guy
left from that crew so I’m I’m invested
in in in those guys um but in terms of
how I play on Dr the Staffing piece is
huge you know I’ve
been um working tirelessly on that my
phone’s been I’ve been on the phone more
in the last 24 hours than I have in fact
Kanani almost body slamming because he’s
like bro I texted you what’s up and uh
so but uh he know he knows he knows how
it is but uh that’s my first outside of
these players man that’s my first matter
of business is getting getting a staff
put together that can hold the fort down
but at the same time I think it’s a
really unique experience to tell the
next chapter of BYU story um in terms of
leveraging my this playoff run that
hopefully we’re on both for our players
for our fans for recruits for all that
stuff and it I think it’s a a really a
separator I believe Jay catch the KSL
Sports Zone building off Matt’s question
how are you going to adapt to recruiting
you haven’t had to do that in 15 years
in the NBA yep you know it’s it’s what
I’m learning is it’s actually starting
to Trend to more similar to the way that
the NBA works as I’m learning the ins
and outs of it but again leveraging
relationships man I’ve been coaching for
almost 20 years I know people at every
level um it’s been amazing to just kind
of have a reminder of how big you know
my network actually is um and again
relationships in this business are the
most of the utmost importance both with
the players and with the the people that
on the Grassroots front agents coaches
the whole nine yards so my own personal
network but the staff piece is enormous
there I’m going to surround self with
people that that’s what they Elite at
and uh that’s what’s going to help us
the most Darnell Dixon daily Herold can
you take us through the timeline of when
you became aware that the job was open
and then your interaction with Tom and
Brian getting to this point that that’d
be a great movie actually
uh um yeah honestly at this point all
the days are running together so I don’t
remember exactly how things went down
but um just to be transparent I was I
was making the interview circuit in the
NBA on some head coaching fronts and uh
all all the while we had a six or seven
day road trip with the Sun so I would
break up from them and go have meetings
with Executives and owners and then fly
back and meet the team and and so forth
so I was already juggling a lot and then
right when I landed from one of those
meetings I had gotten I had gotten a
word of of you know coach Pope leaving
in Kentucky which tremendous opportunity
for him and shortly after that my phone
rang um and then just wild fire happened
after that to be honest with you so I
was juggling a lot me and my wife the
tricky part honestly was her and I
weren’t together I was on the road we
was in LA sack Minnesota and we were
trying to make maybe arguably the most
the biggest decision of our lives and so
I was trying to tell everyone involved
man I just got to get home I just got to
get home to my wife I got to look at her
in the eyes and we got to talk this
thing through and uh it’s been a wild
ride but uh you know we obviously landed
an amazing place
Coach Dave mccan from BYU TV and the
Deseret News congratulations and welcome
I want to follow up on that just a
moment can you take us to that first
conversation with your wife when you
told her that BYU called and how that
played out and then also when you go
back to the Suns have they seen you with
a cleanly shaven face will you have to
reintroduce yourself so I’ll start there
so uh I walked into pra so we had
practice this morning in Phoenix so
we’re getting ready the playoffs as I
keep saying but uh no they hadn’t
actually so I walked in there and all
the guys were kind of looking at me you
know and uh we had a good laugh about it
but uh funny enough with that my wife’s
been wanting me to shave for like 13
years so the fact that uh here it is so
she’s happy about that but
um in terms of uh her first reaction
though
uh a lot of emotion and I actually I’m
actually going to take you past her
first emotion um I was we were in midair
actually I was flying from sack to go to
Minnesota actually and she sent me a
really long text that let me know you
know how she felt about everything that
we had going on that was really
impactful for me and
uh she’s she’s as excited or more um
about this opportunity that I am but she
had a major major influence on me coming
here and what it would do for our family
life and uh she’s she’s amazing love you
babe thanks for everything and uh cougar
Nation I honestly wouldn’t be here if
she uh she was in the mix
so J Drew Deseret News Kevin uh when did
you first decide that you wanted to be a
coach to be in the this profession and
when did it first cross your mind the
possibility existed that you could be
the coach of
BYU so I was really lucky as a player I
always had really good coaches um the
whole reason I wanted to be a coach was
uh my high school coach Roger kwam who I
should have shouted out at the beginning
so coach I apologize for that but um
yeah he’s had probably the most he’s
been the most impactful person on my on
my life as a youngster when I was in
high school and um I wanted to be like
him he had a great life he had five kids
and he coached basketball and top PE
every day and I was like that seems
pretty cool and so uh that’s what I want
I wanted to be just like him and then uh
I got and I play in in college and
jumped right into coaching and you know
one thing led to another that took me to
a different path but in terms of ever
thinking I could be the coach at BYU um
you know got connected with with Brian
and Tom um about four or five years ago
through a mutual connection when I was
out in Philadelphia and uh you know kind
of some seeds were planted and in the
back of my mind I thought you know may
maybe maybe one day that’s something
that would that would happen and never
in a million years thought it would
happen at the Timeline that it did but
you know I’m a firm believer everything
truly does happen for a reason and uh
it’s it’s amazing how everything lined
up for it to happen right now there’s
Kevin young the new basketball coach at
BYU when we come back what is trending
the headlines are next
2 Comments
Welcome to BYU, Coach Young and family!
Great interview with Phoenix guy.