BYU head coach Kevin Young has been named as a prime candidate in the Chicago Bulls' hunt for a new head coach. The Bulls, having recently parted ways with long-time coach Billy Donovan, are searching far and wide for an upgrade at the head coaching position, and Young had been on many teams' short list while on the bench in Phoenix.
The Chicago Bulls are casting a wide net for their head coaching search, which includes interest and early conversations with BYU coach Kevin Young, sources told ESPN.
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) May 30, 2026
When BYU basketball hired Young from the Phoenix Suns, it felt as if the Cougars had stolen the NBA's lead assistant out from under the league's feet. Young, the highest-paid assistant coach in the league at the time of his hiring, has revolutionized BYU basketball, taking it from a scrappy Big 12 program to one of the strongest recruiting forces in all of college hoops.
With his background, Young resolved to turn BYU basketball into an NBA pipeline; the premier destination for the nation's most talented players to develop their skills in preparation for a career at the next level.
Now three years into his tenure in Provo, Young has brought on three players either selected in the lottery or projected to be, with Egor Demin (the 8th pick in 2025), AJ Dybantsa (the projected number one overall pick this summer), and Bruce Branch III (a McDonald's All-American, Team USA member, and lottery projection in 2027).
Eying their fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft, Chicago is anxious to bring on a coach who can develop young talent like Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson. In that sense, Young easily fits the bil.
The question then becomes why would Kevin Young consider leaving BYU basketball, especially right now?
The Cougars continue collecting top-tier recruits, and are contenders for not only the Big 12 Championship this upcoming season, but have their eyes on a deep run through the expanded March Madness field.
Why bring on players like Branch, Wright, Chandler, and a potential professional-tier center if the plan is to jump to the NBA? After a disappointing campaign that finished with a first-round exit in March, even with AJ Dybantsa leading the charge, perhaps Young's coaching style is better-suited for the NBA game.
It seems too early for Young to part ways with BYU -- the two have unfinished business. Young would be insane not to at least hear Chicago out, but I suspect the interest here is one-sided.
How wild that the head coaches of BYU's football and basketball teams simply can't stay out of the coaching carousel for even a season.
Other names in the Bulls' coaching hunt include Tiago Splitter, Micah Nori, Jerry Stackhouse, and more.
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