BYU's Kevin Young Would Be a Very Strong Choice for Chicago Bulls Head Coach

Just when you thought the Chicago Bulls may be winding down their head coach search, Bryson Graham makes another call.

ESPN's Jamal Collier reported this weekend that Kevin Young is the latest name to enter the chat. Graham has held early conversations with the BYU head coach, making him the organization's 11th active candidate. The list would have sat at 12 names, but Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney is said to be taking over as the Orlando Magic's head coach following San Antonio's postseason elimination.

On the surface, speaking with Young may come as a surprise. The current college coach is coming off only his second season as the man in charge of the Cougars. To be sure, both seasons have gone extremely well. BYU finished 26-10 and went on a Sweet Sixteen run in Year 1, then went 23-12 in this past tournament before losing in Round 1 to Texas. Still, going the college route is still pretty rare, particularly when there are so many well-regarded NBA assistants deserving of a promotion.

Young can't be considered your average college coach, though. His pro connections run deep, as the vast majority of his career was spent climbing the NBA ladder. Young essentially got his start in the G-League (previously known as the D-League), where he served as the head coach of affiliates for Utah, Iowa, and Philadelphia.

In 2016, he was eventually named an assistant with the 76ers. Young remained in this role until 2020, when he joined forces with the Phoenix Suns' Monty Williams. The Suns would eventually name him their associate head coach a year later, and the job interviews would soon come flying in as the Suns looked to remain a playoff threat.

Even when the organization chose to move on from Monty Williams, they made an effort to keep Young around. While he did not earn the head coach job despite interviewing, they made Frank Vogel keep him aboard and made Young one of the NBA's highest-paid assistants, per ESPN.

Some of the team's to interview Young for their head coach role in the past include the Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets. Considering his reputation, it has only felt like a matter of time before Young found his way back into the NBA. Whether or not that will be with the Bulls, however, remains a very fair question.

Would Kevin Young Be a Good Fit for the Bulls?

Feb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kevin Young talks to his team during a timeout during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

If Kevin Young didn't have his many years of prior NBA experience, this might be a relatively easy rumor to shut down. But the fact that he was previously seen as one of the league's top head coach candidates makes it hard not to take a report like this seriously. Heck, there is a very real chance that Young would currently be leading an NBA team had the Cougars not aggressively pursued him two years ago.

His extensive experience with player development certainly makes him a fit for a Bulls rebuild. This is exactly what he was focused on in the G League before joining a 76ers team that was coming out the other end of the process. Of course, Young has also worked exclusively with young talent for the last two seasons at BYU. For a Bulls team that expects to add multiple high-upside rookies into the mix this season, Young's expertise could come in handy.

The head coach candidate can also say that he saw firsthand what it takes to find consistent postseason success. Philly became a 50-win squad under his watch with Brett Brown. He was then a key part of the Suns squad that lost in six to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals and won 64 games a season later. Impressive!

It's also difficult not to hear this report and think about the recent buzz around Chicago looking into the No. 1 overall pick. To be clear, it would be frankly shocking if Bryson Graham actually went this route, but guess who coached the projected top choice? That's right, Kevin Young was the one to recruit AJ Dybantsa to the program and help the 19-year-old wing put together a stellar Freshman season. The idea of pairing those two up at the NBA level is undeniably fun.

Nevertheless, even if the Bulls simply grab the best player available at No. 4, Kevin Young feels like a worthwhile target. He has found success every step of the way and should be well-equipped to handle a group of developing studs. The only main holdup could be his recent contract extension with the school. BYU promptly rewarded him with a long-term extension in June of 2025. The terms were undisclosed, but one has to imagine he's making somewhat close to NBA money. Would a chance at the No. 1 chair in the world's greatest league be enough to pry him away, though?

If one thing is for sure, it never hurts to pick up the phone and pick someone's brain. The Bulls may have missed out on a very good option in Sean Sweeney, but the legwork they are putting into this search should pay off.

Current Chicago Bulls Head Coach Candidates ...

• Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori
• Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Dave Bliss
• Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter
• Former New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego
• Chicago Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr.
• Charlotte Hornets assistant Lamar Skeeter
• Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt
• Former Golden State Warriors assistant Jerry Stackhouse
• Miami Heat assistant Chris Quinn
• Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Johnnie Bryant
• BYU head coach Kevin Young

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