Guard Young to Become Head Coach at BYU

NORMAN — Guard Young, a 10-year assistant men's gymnastics coach at Oklahoma, accepted the women's gymnastics head coaching position at BYU on Thursday.

Young leaves the University of Oklahoma, where he was an assistant men's gymnastics coach from 2000-05 and from 2011-15. In 10 seasons at OU, Young has been a part of four NCAA championship teams (2002, 2003, 2005, 2015) and five NCAA runner-up teams (2001, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2014).

“I've been around Guard so many years now that I don't know how to quantify all the things he's done for the program,” said OU head coach Mark Williams. Having grown up as an athlete, coaching and competing at the Olympics, leaving (OU) and coming back again as my first assistant coach, winning national championships a number of times with him, it's going to be a loss to the program.

“But I'm definitely excited for his opportunity to be a head coach. I feel like he is very ready for that step. I'm sure he is going to have a tremendous future as the head coach for BYU's women's program.

In accepting the position at BYU, Young is heading back to his alma mater. From 1996 to 2000 Young was a member of the BYU men's gymnastics team, winning six All-America awards and two NCAA National Championships on the vault (1999, 2000). As a senior he also placed runner-up in the individual all-around at the 2000 NCAA Championships. He was inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.

“While I am excited for my new adventure, I'm leaving with mixed emotions,” said Young. “I'm so grateful for all Coach Williams has taught me. Winning the NCAA Championships was the perfect way to end my coaching at OU! Thank you and Boomer Sooner.”

From 2000 to 2004 Young was a member of the USA Senior National Gymnastics Team, winning a team silver medal at the 2001 World Championships in Ghent, Belgium, and a team silver medal the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

As a junior gymnast, Young trained under Williams at the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy in Norman. He was the 1996 junior national champion and earned three junior national team berths.

Young graduated from BYU in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts in communications with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. He and his wife, Alisha, have two boys — Tyler and Jaxson, and one daughter Hadley.

His father, Wayne Young, was a BYU gymnast from 1970-1975 and captained the 1976 USA Olympic team. He later became the Cougars men's gymnastics coach from 1979-87 and was inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986. In addition, Guard's sister Jessica Young Wycherly was a gymnast at BYU from 1995-98.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Guard Young to Become Head Coach at BYU

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