The Phoenix Suns are no doubt thrilled with the first season head coach Jordan Ott just gave the franchise, but there was another young upstart who nearly got the job a few years back.
Kevin Young a name you won't have heard in a while. The former lead assistant was thought of as somebody who could have the top job in The Valley one day, but being overlooked in favor of Frank Vogel and Mike Budenholzer saw him leave the NBA behind in favor of BYU.
Young being linked with Bulls' head coaching job
Now he has reappeared on the radar of the Chicago Bulls, and the timing on this one is interesting. Likely first overall pick AJ Dybantsa just played for coach Young at BYU this season, so this could be some long-term planning on the part of the Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls are casting a wide net for their head coaching search, which includes interest and early conversations with BYU coach Kevin Young, sources told ESPN.
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) May 30, 2026
The Orlando Magic doing something similar in recent days, hiring an assistant in Sean Sweeney from the San Antonio Spurs who has established ties to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bulls are once again going nowhere fast, so a coaching shake-up like this one does make sense.
It is also another link between Phoenix and Chicago this offseason after Mark Williams emerged as a player that the Bulls were rumored to have interest in signing. They might actually be doing Phoenix a favor if that were to happen, but the same would not be true if they manage to convince Young to come back to the pros.
The 44-year-old was always highly thought of and most predicted he would be a head coach one day. Only it was supposed to be in Phoenix, but not giving him the opportunity to be the guy has opened the door for the Bulls to potentially swoop in.
This development would feel a lot worse if coach Ott hadn't done so well in year one, and it is also true that the current head coach was part of a bigger picture realigning of the organization under owner Mat Ishbia which has worked.
We'll never know if that would have happened if Young was given the job, but there is a silver lining to all of this. There are many more competent franchises in direct competition that Young could potentially land with, and watching him succeed at the expense of the Suns would hurt.
The Bulls far enough away and so mediocre that you could only wish coach Young well if they did hire him. Even if they don't, it seems only a matter of time before he's back in the NBA.
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