Marty Gordon
Virginia Tech has its new men’s basketball coach, and he is familiar to a lot of us. Mike Young grew up in Radford, cheering for the Hokies. He even coached a year at Radford University and is a member of the Radford High School Hall of Fame.
Let’s step back for a moment. Did anyone know who Buzz Williams was when he came to Blacksburg. Probably not. Did anyone know who Justin Fuente was when came here as the new football coach. Probably not.
Those two major coaches were plucked from Marquette and Memphis respectively. They both had winning records at those schools, but they were not household names.
None of the head coaches at Virginia Tech were either. And I bet a low percentage can name the new swimming coach or baseball coach.
They were not major players on the national stage, but Athletic Director Whit Babcock saw something and hired what many would label as “unknowns.” Babcock has done it again, but this time he might have found a diamond in the rough.
Young is not your typical basketball coach. He stayed at Wofford for over 20 years. He also made an unimaginable low salary ($165,000). Now he gains a major salary increase by coming to Tech.
The 55-year-old Radford native is a proven commodity, taking a mid-major program that was still a Division II one just a few years ago to the national stage.
This past month, Young was named the Southern Conference’s men’s basketball coach of the year after leading the Terriers to a 30-win season. This is the fifth time he has received the honor.
Another note: This year, Young was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year and finished third in this season’s AP Coach of the Year voting behind Texas Tech’s Chris Beard and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson. In addition to the on-court success of his teams, 100 percent of Young’s student-athletes at Wofford who completed their eligibility graduated.
I say that’s a great resume.
Young also serves on a national committee that is taking aim at every basketball program in the country after the recent FBI/Adias/Nike investigation. He currently serves as a member of the NCAA’s Men’s Basketball Ethics Committee. This group will have a full plate over the next year as the “bribe to play” issue continues to grab the headlines.
I have personally known Young since his days at Radford University. Yes, it was a brief stay with one year as an assistant under former coach Oliver Purnell, but his father, Bob, has been a friend ever since.
Bob was a principal at the Radford middle school and still attends almost every Radford High School basketball game as possible. He stood beside me at the recent regional contest between Radford and Gate City.
It should also be noted that Mike Young’s uncle is none other than legendary Radford football coach Norm Lineburg who attended Monday’s introduction ceremony at Cassell Coliseium.
Hokie fans need to give Young the opportunity he finally deserves and has received. It might take awhile to reload the cabinet, but he will get there. Give him the chance, and you might like what you see.
On top of that, he is a pretty snazzy dresser so the sidelines will be sporting the bling this coming year.
Mike Young is the right man for the job. “Believe in Whit” is what I say. He has done well in every hire he has made, and this will be no exception.
