BYU Basketball to Hire Suns Assistant Kevin Young as Head Coach

Young was the highest paid assistant in the NBA

BYU got their guy. On Tuesday, BYU announced the hiring Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young to be the next head basketball coach. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, BYU and Young finalized a "long-term deal" to make him the replacement for Mark Pope.

"We are excited to announce Kevin as our new head men's basketball coach and welcome him and his family to BYU," BYU AD Tom Holmoe said in a statement. "We had a variety of excellent candidates and a lot of interest in this position. Kevin is someone we have had our eye on for a while. He has risen to the top of the NBA assistant coaching ranks. He has been a lead candidate for NBA head coaching jobs and has been instrumental in developing top-level NBA talent. Kevin will bring a new perspective, with an extensive NBA background to our program. He is a phenomenal fit at BYU. He is humble, fun and super intelligent. Cougar Nation is going to love getting to know Kevin."

Getting Young to Provo is a very significant move for BYU and reaffirms BYU's commitment to the basketball program. Young was the highest paid assistant in the NBA and he was viewed as a future head coach in the NBA. Just this week, he was one of three finalists for the Brooklyn Nets head coaching job.

Young, a Utah native, "will continue working with the Suns in the playoffs, but will begin assembling a coaching staff that'll immediately start recruiting for BYU," according to Wojnarowski.

Retaining the roster is the first order of business for Young. Three of BYU's best players - Richie Saunders, Dallin Hall, and Aly Khalifa, are currently in the transfer portal and considering possible returns to BYU.