BYU hires NBA coach to bring professional touch to college hoops and March Madness

With each new player signed, NIL deal made, and athlete or coach switching teams without a word, college basketball increasingly resembles professional sports.

Rather than resisting this shift, BYU took a bold step: it hired a coach straight from the NBA.

Kevin Young’s transition from the NBA to the NCAA has already shown promise for the Cougars, with strong potential for future success.

After defeating VCU for the program’s first March Madness victory since 2012, sixth-seeded BYU is now aiming for its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2011, the year before Jimmer Fredette made his mark, with a win over No. 3 seed Wisconsin on Saturday.

Regardless of the outcome against Wisconsin, next season the Cougars will gain AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s top recruit who made waves by signing an NIL deal worth between $5 million and $7 million, according to some reports.

This success is part of a larger vision laid out by 43-year-old Young, who raised eyebrows last spring when he took the job and announced his intention to build an NBA-style program and recruit NBA-level talent.

Fredette was the last player drafted from BYU, in 2011.

“Our main goal wasn’t necessarily hiring an NBA coach,” said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, who had previously interviewed Young when the Cougars were looking for a coach. “What we needed was a great coach with strong basketball knowledge. What Kevin offered, though, was something unique.”

Under Young, BYU plays an up-tempo style, emphasizing 3-point shooting, where the Cougars rank 23rd in the nation in attempts, as well as easy baskets in the paint. This has led to a ranking of 10th in KenPom’s offensive efficiency rankings.

The Cougars also place a strong focus on film study. Holmoe noted that they’ve invested more in nutrition and professionalized their fitness and weightlifting programs.

With 20 coaching staff members, including graduate assistants, BYU’s staff is notably larger than UConn’s two-time defending champion team, which has 11. Several coaches bring professional experience to the table, creating, according to Holmoe, “a structure that’s different and required some adaptation.”

To attract players to this NBA-like environment, Young recruited Egor Demin, a 6-foot-9 swingman from Moscow who is skilled in shooting, handling, and passing, and might play just one season.

Next year, Dybantsa will join the team, bringing not just his talents but also a clear message: BYU is a place where players can make an impact in March Madness and, potentially, the NBA.

“We’ve managed to integrate an NBA style into college basketball,” said Doug Stewart, Young’s assistant at the Delaware 87ers, who now serves as BYU’s chief of staff. “That’s been an appealing factor for recruits.”

A lingering question remains: why would Young, who left a $2 million-a-year job as associate coach with the Phoenix Suns and was on the fast track for an NBA head-coaching position, choose the college game?

Many coaches rise in college and try to make the leap to the NBA, but few, like Young, reverse the trend.

For Young, faith played a role – he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Another factor was a powerful text message from his wife, Melissa, emphasizing the value of spending more time with family.

“That text was a very spiritual experience for me,” Young shared with the Deseret News.

In his media interview on Friday, Young also mentioned the challenge of stepping away from the NBA’s 100-game grind and the excitement of trying to elevate a program with a rich history to new heights.

“It was exciting to think about taking a successful program and pushing it to places it’s never been,” he said.

And that’s exactly what’s happening. Holmoe admits that the transformation has come faster than expected.

“We thought it would take more time to get everything in motion,” he said.

Next, BYU faces Wisconsin, a team that also ranks among the top 13 in KenPom’s offensive efficiency and averages over 28 3-point attempts per game.

“It’ll probably be 50-48,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard joked, noting the similarities between the two teams.

As always in March Madness, Young and his team must quickly prepare a scouting report. With 17 years of professional coaching experience, including seven in the NBA, Young is adept at turning around the information quickly.

“There are plenty of reference points,” he said. “I think back to trying things against players like Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic. While there are differences, it gives me and the players a lot of confidence.”