BYU basketball fans throughout the world drew a collective sigh of relief last Thursday afternoon when the school announced it had extended the contract of coach Kevin Young.
The 43-year-old coach had signed what was believed to be a seven-year deal back in 2024 when he replaced Mark Pope, so obviously he did a lot of impressing the past season, guiding BYU to a third-place tie in the Big 12 and to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
There’s probably no telling the length of his current deal, or how much he is being compensated, but it is a safe bet that it is substantial in both cases. As a private school, BYU does not have to release its coach’s contracts, as public schools do.
Coincidentally, I interviewed Young in his office a few hours before the news was released, primarily to talk about how he balances fatherhood and coaching basketball at a Power Four school for my annual Father’s Day piece that will be published later this week.
But I did ask the father of three — with a second daughter on the way — what he thought of his former employer in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns, hiring 40-year-old Jordan Ott from the Cleveland Cavaliers, and if he was ever interested in that opening.
Frankly, I was surprised by Young’s candor. Here’s his reply:
“Yeah, I was interested in it. But I made this decision to come here and leave the NBA for some pretty specific reasons. I loved my time in Phoenix. It was a place for me where I have fond memories. My family liked it there as well.
“So I definitely wasn’t closing the door. And I respect those guys down there, too, the players. I have good relationships with who is running the team, then and now. They were really good to me. They helped elevate my career in a way I will always be grateful for. So yeah, I think it was a natural thing to have a conversation. I don’t think the time was necessarily right for them or for me. But I think out of respect for them and for me, it was like, ‘Yeah, let’s have this chat.’ You know what I mean?”
Young politely declined to divulge whether he was offered the job. Personally, I would be really, really surprised if he wasn’t. That Young’s contract extension was announced a day after Ott was hired probably speaks volumes.
Let’s leave it at that.
Question of the Week
What is your overall assessment of the nonconference schedule Young and his staff have put together? Have the Cougars bitten off more than they can chew?
Jackson Payne: Wrestling legend Ric Flair said it best: “To be the man, you have to beat the man.”
BYU’s championship aspirations for the coming season — within the Big 12 and nationally — will require the Cougars to enter conference play having already been battle-tested. Potential Quad 1 victories against the likes of Villanova, UConn, Wisconsin and others would help to do just that, along with building an immediate NCAA Tournament résumé to draw a more favorable seed on Selection Sunday.
But BYU’s aggressive nonconference scheduling also reminds me of the Cougars’ football rallying cry from 2020 — “any team, time or place.” By loading up with marquee matchups, Kevin Young and his staff are sending a message that their program means business. Expectations have changed in Provo, and BYU both believes it can beat anyone and won’t back down from the chance to prove it.
Plus, facing prestigious programs in NBA arenas and on national television will be a hoot for Cougar fans, especially as the “AJ Dybantsa Experience” begins. It’s a whole new world for basketball at BYU.
Jay Drew: I wrote about the Cougars’ nonconference schedule last week, with plenty of quotes from Young and assistant coach Chris Burgess — the schedule’s primary architect — on how this was made necessary by events that transpired last year.
In short, the Cougars’ average, mediocre nonconference schedule last year probably cost the Cougars a seeding line, or two, when the NCAA Tournament bids were handed out. So that’s my assessment: It is about time.
Are they in over their heads? Not if Richie Saunders, Keba Keita, Dawson Baker and Mihailo Boskovic perform like they did last year and the newcomers — especially AJ Dybantsa — are as good as they are supposed to be. Suffice it to say, this will be the most intriguing November and December schedule in school history. That can’t be a bad thing, even if the Cougars only win a couple of games against P4 schools.
Cougar tales
Dave McCann details how BYU’s success in football and men’s basketball recently comes with a price — rising ticket costs — in this piece after officials announced a reseating plan for the Marriott Center.
I wrote this piece to introduce one of the newest members of Young’s team, Washington transfer Dominique Diamonde, to the BYU fan base. The 6-foot-7 forward is a nice addition to a stacked team.
I caught up with head coach Kalani Sitake after the Rivalry for Charity golf event last week and got his take on a variety of issues pertaining to his 2025 team, his 2026 recruiting class, and more.
From the archives
Brandon Judd of the Deseret News took a look at ESPN’s Football Power Index for 2025 and looked at where BYU falls in the annual FPI
Payne highlighted a historic feat turned in by BYU football recruit McKay Madsen in the California state track and field championships in late May.
From the X-verse
- BYU in the hunt for a 7-foot-3 kid from Italy (@TiptonEdits)
- Celebrating the stellar BYU men’s golf season (@BYUmgolf)
- Incoming BYU track star Jane Hedengren continues to amaze (@DyeStat)
Extra points
- Future BYU runner sets national record (Deseret News)
- Retiring educator surprised by LaVell Edwards (Deseret News)
- Puka Nacua’s brothers in UFL championship (Deseret News)
Fanalysts
Comments from Deseret News readers:
High ticket prices work as long as the team is winning. BYU fans are fickle. The expanded football stadium sold out with season tickets from 1982-93. Then BYU went 6-6 in 1993. The next year 10,000 season tickets were unsold, and attendance dropped. And that was when tickets were very affordable. I understand why the university is doing this, but it’s sad to see the average fan who has supported the Cougars for 40 years be priced out of attending the games.
— KeepingInformed
Dominique Diamonde, Kennard Davis and Nate Pickens have all said they like and expect to guard the other teams’ best player. Keba Keita, Khadim Mboup and Xavion Staton are also very good. Rob Wright, AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders all seem to be capable. It appears that this team could be a significant defensive upgrade over last year, especially since they weren’t too good.
— Wallyball
Up next
- June 11-14 | TBA | Track & Field | NCAA Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon