BYU basketball is under siege, as the Chicago Bulls are taking aim at head coach, Kevin Young.
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
Young, the figurehead of the program in Provo for the last two seasons, picked the Cougars off the floor and saved them from a catastrophic implosion as his predecessor, Mark Pope, took the vacancy at the University of Kentucky. Young arrived with the promise of transforming BYU basketball into the premier destination for the nation's best talent to develop and prepare for a career in the NBA.
To this point, he's made good on his word, sending Egor Demin to the NBA Draft lottery (selected 8th by the Brooklyn Nets), AJ Dybantsa to a potential number-one selection in this year's draft, and bringing in Bruce Branch III, who likewise projects as a lottery player in next year's pool.
And he's out-recruiting Pope's Kentucky program while he's at it, retaining Dallin Hall, Richie Saunders, and most recently Robert Wright from Lexington's lure.
He's absolutely revolutionized how BYU basketball is viewed on the national stage. A miracle worker, a necromancer, and a revolutionary, Young's fingerprint in Provo has transformed the ruins of a scrappy, under-the-radar squad into one of the most formidable basketball forces in the nation. Kevin Young has an NBA-quality resume, and that's what makes Chicago's interest all the more frightening.
Young was widely rumored as the "next man up" in the NBA. First in line to be promoted from his assisstant coach role to the top spot of an NBA franchise. He was the highest-paid assistant in the league, and something of an offensive mastermind. That's been on full display at BYU.
Yes, Kevin Young is all-in at BYU, and has recruited with the intention of building a winner at his new home, but don't get it confused: BYU will not be the final stop of his career.
He's an NBA guy. Always has been. And the Chicago Bulls boast one of the most storied team histories in all of basketball. But this team hasn't done much of anything since the Derrick Rose years (short-lived as they were), and with the fourth-overall pick (likely to become Caleb Wilson or Cameron Boozer), they're searching for a coach capale of developing young stars to reach their full potential as a pro. He's the square peg for Chicago's square hole.
The interest isn't one-sided.
Kevin Young will go back to the NBA at some point. Maybe it’s this offseason, maybe it’s 5 years from now. He’s a NBA guy.
— Robby McCombs (@rtmccombs) May 30, 2026
Does this mean that Kevin Young would abandon BYU the first chance he gets? I'm not so convinced he won't be selective if and when such an opportunity would arise, and Chicago is not the same job it was in the 1990s.
Still, if Young views the Bulls as the perfect fit for his needs, BYU basketball could look severely different by the start of next season, presumably losing top talent like Rob Wright III and Bruce Branch III in the fallout.
The news of Chicago's interest is horrifying -- no question about it -- but when Kevin Young eventually decides to leave BYU basketball, this program has a way of bouncing back.
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