BYU Coach Kevin Young Praises ‘Classy’ ASU Fans
Four days after Arizona Wildcats fans chanted expletives referencing BYU Cougars’ faith, BYU head coach Kevin Young acknowledged the Arizona State Sun Devils’ supporters for their classiness during ASU’s 91-81 loss in Tempe.
“I’ve spent a lot of time here, and I know there’s plenty of BYU blue in the Valley,” said Young, who was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns for four years. “I expected to see some (BYU fans in Tempe), but it exceeded my expectations.
“As I walked off the court, I looked up and saw—honestly, about half the arena in blue. Credit to ASU for their classiness. We’ve encountered some situations that weren’t as classy, so I appreciate the fans here.”
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Arizona AD Apologizes to BYU for ‘Unacceptable Chant’ Following Close Game
A video from Tucson captured Wildcats fans chanting expletives and calling BYU players “Mormons.” Brigham Young University is associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The chant happened as players left the court after BYU’s narrow 96-95 victory, following a tense final few minutes. Arizona fans were further agitated by a controversial foul call against their team.
Arizona’s Caleb Love also exchanged words with BYU’s Mawot Mag and other Cougars during the postgame handshake before the chant occurred.
“After tonight’s men’s basketball game, we learned about an unacceptable chant,” Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois said in a statement the next day.
“On behalf of the University of Arizona Athletic Department, we apologize to BYU, their student-athletes, coaches, and fans. This chant does not reflect who we are and should not have happened.”
Arizona’s student section, Zona Zoo, also addressed the incident with a statement.
“The actions of some students after the Arizona vs. BYU game were unacceptable and do not represent our 14,000 ZonaZoo members or our leadership. We have taken internal steps to prevent future incidents.
We apologize to BYU Men’s Basketball, members of the LDS faith, @byuROC, and all fans for the words and actions after the game. As a student section, our goal is to make McKale a challenging venue, but our mission is to Bear Down with Pride and foster a welcoming environment.
As a university organization, we uphold core values such as integrity, compassion, inclusion, and adaptation. We acknowledge that some of our Wildcat family, including student-athletes, are members of the LDS faith. Creating an inclusive space where all students feel welcome is a top priority for the university and ZonaZoo Leadership. We urge students to consider the intent and impact of their words and actions and to Bear Down with Pride.”
Kevin Young Returns to Arizona with BYU
Young is part of a growing trend of NBA coaches transitioning to college basketball, drawn by expanding NIL opportunities. BYU’s own collective has played a key role in attracting NBA prospects to the Big 12 newcomer.
For Young, this past week marked a homecoming to Arizona and the Valley, where he spent four seasons coaching under Monty Williams and Frank Vogel with the Suns.
“This place is special to me. I had some great years here and had friends and family at this game,” Young said.
Young took the BYU job in April after Mark Pope left for Kentucky, making the move midseason while still coaching with the Suns.
He remained with Phoenix through its short-lived playoff run, which ended in a first-round sweep. During that stretch, he even brought some of his future BYU players to Phoenix for a playoff game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Young Commends ASU Players’ Effort
During Wednesday’s game at Desert Financial Arena, Young was not only impressed by ASU’s fans but also by the team’s resilience.
Despite losing four starters from their early-season rotation, the Sun Devils kept pace with a BYU squad that had topped 90 points in three consecutive games, including a dominant 91-57 win over then-No. 23 Kansas.
“Hard-fought game. That team is severely undermanned,” Young said. “It reminded me of my minor-league coaching days—teams losing key players right before a game, and bench guys stepping up, eager to play.
“We expected that kind of fight.”
Before joining the Philadelphia 76ers’ staff in 2016, Young’s minor-league experience included coaching in the D League with the Utah Flash, Iowa Energy, and Delaware 87ers (formerly the Flash).