Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young is among the candidates to replace Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, reports The Athletic’s Tony Jones.
Snyder stepped down over the weekend despite leading a Utah roster that includes All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert to six playoff appearances in a row.
Also on the shortlist of replacement candidates for Snyder are former Portland coach Terry Stotts, Utah assistant Alex Jensen, New York assistant Johnnie Bryant and Milwaukee assistant Charles Lee. Boston assistant Will Hardy and Toronto assistant Adrian Griffin were also of interest, according to Jones.
Young joined the Suns in 2020 and before the 2021-22 season was promoted to associate head coach after Phoenix lost former lead assistant Willie Green, who took the New Orleans Pelicans’ head job.
He previously served under Suns head coach Monty Williams with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he worked from 2017-20 after serving as assistant and then head coach with the G League affiliate team in Delaware since 2013.
Young has ties to the state of Utah. He was born in Salt Lake City and coached at Utah Valley State (2007-08) before working for the Utah Flash D-League franchise from 2009-2011. That team later moved to Delaware to become the 87ers and are currently the Blue Coats.
The 40-year-old Young went 2-2 this past season for the Suns serving as head coach after Williams ended up in COVID-19 protocols shortly after Christmas.