Tom Holmoe Shares Early Impressions Of BYU Coach Kevin Young
May 30, 2024, 2:55 PM
BYU basketball head coach Kevin Young has impressed athletic director Tom Holmoe in the opening stretch of his tenure. (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
IRVING, Texas – BYU basketball made a splash by hiring Kevin Young as their head coach.
The former highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA has hit the ground running in his new role.
Young made it his top priority to retain the previous roster. He brought back Dallin Hall and Richie Saunders, who had options to go elsewhere out of the transfer portal.
BYU basketball is making headlines on the recruiting trail
Then he shored up commitments from All-Big 12 Honorable Mention forward Fousseyni Traore and veteran guard Trevin Knell.
Young’s biggest headline-grabbing moment was landing a commitment from Real Madrid’s Egor Demin. The 6-foot-8 guard/forward is considered an NBA Lottery pick for the 2025 draft class.
Demin’s commitment highlights Young’s vision for BYU as a place where players are developed and prepared for the NBA.
Young isn’t looking solely at the upcoming season. He’s swinging for the fences in future recruiting classes.
BYU officially extended scholarship offers to five-star prospects Caleb Wilson and AJ Dybantsa. Dybantsa is the nation’s number one recruit in the 2025 cycle. He will conclude his high school career in Southern Utah at Utah Prep in Hurricane.
Safe to say, Young is reinventing how BYU basketball is viewed in the college hoops world.
Holmoe’s early impressions of Kevin Young on the job
Young is BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe’s third head men’s basketball coach hire since he took the AD chair in 2005.
Holmoe’s previous two hires, Dave Rose and Mark Pope, were highly successful on the hardwood. Young has all the makings to be another successful coach at BYU.
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In the process, Holmoe and BYU Associate AD Brian Santiago were drawn to Kevin Young when they received word that Mark Pope was off to Kentucky.
Like many in BYU’s fan base, Holmoe has been impressed with Young’s early returns, particularly on the recruiting trail.
“I think a lot is Kevin Young just coming in with a plan. It’s a different way to look at it,” said Holmoe to KSL Sports. “I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that he has a lot of experience at the professional level. A lot of college or high school kids, potential college players that would be in our pool. They’re looking to develop into NBA players.
“He has experience with international kids, experience with young kids, and a great network that knows who they are, knows how to evaluate them, and knows who’s up and coming.”
BYU basketball staff will be completed in the “next couple of days”
Holmoe also pointed to Young’s coaching staff as an area that has impressed him so far.
So far, Young has officially brought on Brandon Dunson, who was previously at Stanford. And Chris Burgess, who left his alma mater to return to the bench at BYU.
Three more coaches Holmoe says the details will “come together in the next couple of days.”
“Those staff members will accentuate what he’s already brought to the table that people have seen. That’s all part of the plan, his plan. And that’s what we liked about Kevin in the process,” Holmoe said. “His vision for what BYU could be, he respected a great deal what BYU has been, and he’s not going to try to turn it upside down. He’s gonna put his touches because he has a certain skill set that we haven’t gotten to yet.”
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
