BYU picks notable NBA assistant coach to replace Mark Pope

BYU is making a splash as it officially moves past the Mark Pope era.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Tuesday that BYU has hired Kevin Young to be its next head coach. The school has since announced the hiring.

Young, currently the associate head coach of the Phoenix Suns, will be getting a long-term deal from the Cougars, according to Wojnarowski, though the terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The 42-year-old Young is the highest-paid assistant coach in the NBA right now and works alongside head coach Frank Vogel in Phoenix. He has been a pretty hot candidate for NBA head coaching jobs and once even received an endorsement from a Suns star to get the job with their team before Vogel was ultimately chosen. 

Most recently, Young was one of three finalists for the Brooklyn Nets head coaching job, but the Nets landed on a different candidate instead. A native of Salt Lake City, Young also had extensive experience as an assistant in both college and the then-NBA D-League before becoming an NBA assistant.

As for BYU, it needs a new voice after Pope, its head coach for the last five seasons, left to take the job at his alma mater Kentucky. 

Though they continue to churn out winning seasons, the Cougars have not made it past the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a decade. Now, BYU will turn to a young up-and-coming head coach to lead its program for years to come.