Kimani Young

Last updated
Kimani Young
Kimani Young.jpg
Young in 2023
Current position
TitleAssociate head coach
Team UConn
Conference Big East Conference
Biographical details
Born Queens, New York, U.S.
Alma mater UTEP
Playing career
1993–1998 UTEP
Position(s) Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2008–2009 St. John's (video coordinator)
2012–2013 FIU (asst.)
2013–2018 Minnesota (asst.)
2018–2020 UConn (asst.)
2020–present UConn (AHC)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As an Assistant:
2x NCAA Division I Tournament (2023, 2024)
2x NCAA Division I Regional –Final Four (2023, 2024)
Big East regular season (2024)
Big East tournament (2024)

Kimani Young is an American college basketball coach who is the associate head coach for the UConn Huskies men's basketball team.

Contents

Early life

Young was born in Queens, and played basketball at Forest Hills High School, earning a selection on the All-New York City team and a McDonald's All-American honorable mention as a senior. [1] He played basketball for the University of Texas at El Paso under Don Haskins. [2] Playing as a point guard, Young scored over 1,000 points with the team, averaging 16.6 points per game as a junior and 17.0 points per game as a senior. [2]

Coaching career

Young's coaching career began in 2006 as the athletic director at New Heights Youth, a non-profit organization which provides resources to underprivileged youth in the New York City area. In between two stints with the organization, he served as a team manager and video coordinator with the St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team during the 2008-09 season. During his tenure with New Heights Youth, he coached notable players such as Kemba Walker and JayVaughn Pinkston. [3]

In 2012, Young was hired as an assistant coach at FIU by new head coach Richard Pitino. [4] After one season at FIU, Young followed Pitino to Minnesota, where he served as an assistant coach under Pitino for five years. During his tenure, the Golden Gophers won the 2014 National Invitation Tournament and earned a berth to the 2017 NCAA tournament. [1]

In 2018, Young was hired as an assistant head coach at UConn by Dan Hurley, as part of his new staff with the team. [5] His performance with the team put him on The Athletic's list of 25 up-and-coming college basketball coaches. [6] In 2020, he was promoted to the associate head coach of the team. [7] While at UConn, he has worked to recruit and develop guards, such as All-Big East first-teamers Christian Vital, James Bouknight, and R. J. Cole. [1] He played a key role in UConn's back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024, recruiting and developing key players Jordan Hawkins, Tristen Newton, and Stephon Castle. [8] [9]

Personal life

Young has four children. [1] His wife, Sharette Dixon, died at 39 of pneumonia. [3]

In 1999, Young was arrested for having 96 pounds of marijuana, and he was sentenced to a year in federal prison. [2]

Young is one of the founders of Coaches For Action, a group of 21 Big East assistant basketball coaches which uses the platform of athletics to educate and bring awareness to social injustices. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Kimani Young - Men's Basketball Coach". University of Connecticut Athletics. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Knight, Bill. "Former UTEP Miner overcomes major setbacks". El Paso Times. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  3. 1 2 Amore, Dom (1 May 2018). "Kimani Young, Overcoming Adversity, Tragedy, Offers Life Lessons For UConn Men". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  4. ↑ Braziller, Zach. "New Heights director Young accepts position at FIU under Pitino". New York Post. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  5. ↑ Amore, Dom (4 April 2018). "UConn Makes It Official: Hires Kimani Young For New Staff". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Hamilton, Brian. "The Watch List: 25 up-and-coming college basketball coaches". The Athletic. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Kimani Young Named MBB Associate Head Coach". University of Connecticut Athletics. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Marks, Brendan. "UConn's Tristen Newton and Dan Hurley are the 'fire and ice' who won it all twice". The Athletic. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  9. ↑ Hicks, Kevin. "Candidates to Replace Suns Coach Kevin Young". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
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