BYU Basketball: Tom Holmoe Shares Early Impressions of Coach Kevin Young

BYU basketball is making headlines on the recruiting trail

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe has been impressed with the early returns of new basketball coach Kevin Young. Young has made it his top priority to retain the previous roster, bringing back Dallin Hall and Richie Saunders, who had options to go elsewhere out of the transfer portal.

“I think a lot is Kevin Young just coming in with a plan. It’s a different way to look at it,” said Holmoe to KSL Sports.

Young has also shored up commitments from All-Big 12 Honorable Mention forward Fousseyni Traore and veteran guard Trevin Knell. His biggest headline-grabbing moment was landing a commitment from Real Madrid’s Egor Demin, a 6-foot-8 guard/forward considered an NBA Lottery pick for the 2025 draft class.

Demin’s commitment highlights Young’s vision for BYU as a place where players are developed and prepared for the NBA.

Young isn’t looking solely at the upcoming season. He’s swinging for the fences in future recruiting classes. BYU has officially extended scholarship offers to five-star prospects Caleb Wilson and AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s number one recruit in the 2025 cycle.

Dybantsa will conclude his high school career in Southern Utah at Utah Prep in Hurricane.

Safe to say, Young is reinventing how BYU basketball is viewed in the college hoops world.

Holmoe’s early impressions of Kevin Young on the job are positive. Young is BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe’s third head men’s basketball coach hire since he took the AD chair in 2005. Holmoe’s previous two hires, Dave Rose and Mark Pope, were highly successful on the hardwood. Young has all the makings to be another successful coach at BYU.

Holmoe has been impressed with Young’s early returns, particularly on the recruiting trail.

In the process, Holmoe and BYU Associate AD Brian Santiago were drawn to Kevin Young when they received word that Mark Pope was off to Kentucky. Like many in BYU’s fan base, Holmoe has been impressed with Young’s early returns, particularly on the recruiting trail.

BYU basketball staff will be completed in the “next couple of days”. Holmoe also pointed to Young’s coaching staff as an area that has impressed him so far. So far, Young has officially brought on Brandon Dunson, who was previously at Stanford. And Chris Burgess, who left his alma mater to return to the bench at BYU. Three more coaches Holmoe says the details will “come together in the next couple of days”.

Young’s vision for what BYU could be, he respected a great deal what BYU has been, and he’s not going to try to turn it upside down.