In April 2024 BYU signed new head coach Kevin Young away from the NBA with a seven-year deal worth a reported $30 million. After a stellar first season in Provo in which he led the Cougars to the Sweet 16 while also landing the nation's No. 1 overall high school recruit, AJ Dybantsa, and BYU's leadership is ready to extend their new coach.
The timing is perfect for the Cougars. When he was hired by BYU, Kevin Young was the NBA's highest-paid assistant coach and it was only a matter of time until he became an NBA head coach. The NBA team Young left, the Phoenix Suns, fired their head coach Mike Budenholzer in April and the team took plenty of time looking for a replacement. The Suns coaching vacancy was never a serious threat to cause Kevin Young to depart Provo after just one season, but it made BYU fans squeamish enough that this new extension is heavily reassuring.
It's probably fair to say that Kevin Young has massively exceeded all reasonable expectations in his new job. He vowed to make BYU an NBA factory, and he's delivering. Egor Demin will likely be an NBA lottery pick later this month after his one-and-done season in Provo. AJ Dybantsa could be the No. 1 overall pick in next year's NBA draft.
In just one recruiting cycle, Coach Young and his staff put together the best recruiting class in BYU history. The team's three incoming freshmen in 2025 - AJ Dybantsa (No. 2 overall), Xavion Staton (No. 37), and Chamberlain Burgess (No. 97) give the Cougars the No. 3 recruiting class in the country.
Even the most optimistic BYU fans couldn't have envisioned where the basketball program would be after just 16 months under Kevin Young's leadership.
Fortunately for BYU fans, he may be staying in Provo for a long, long time.