Suns make big decision on assistant Kevin Young amid Frank Vogel hire
Feb 8, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia speaks to the media at an introductory press conference at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Young did not end up with the Phoenix Suns’ head coaching job, but he appears to be getting the next best thing.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports Saturday that the Suns assistant coach Young is staying with the team on a new deal that will make him the NBA’s highest-paid assistant. Young will be working on the staff of newly-minted Phoenix head coach Frank Vogel.
The 41-year-old Young, whose official title is associate head coach of the Suns, was a finalist for the team’s head coaching job along with Vogel and Doc Rivers. He had been an assistant in Phoenix under Monty Williams for the past three seasons.
At one point, it looked like Young was the frontrunner for the Suns head coaching job as he had even gotten a major endorsement from one of the team’s top stars. But Phoenix elected to give the job to Vogel, a seasoned defensive virtuoso with 11 years of head coaching experience and an NBA title under his belt, instead. Still, keeping Young on staff (and giving him much more money to do so) is a great way to appease all parties involved.
