The Cougar Beat

Kevin Young’s time as associate head coach of the Phoenix Suns came to a close Monday night with a 122-116 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, eliminating the Suns from the NBA playoffs.
Now he only has one job: BYU men’s basketball coach.
But the first-time college head coach has been wearing multiple hats for the past two weeks, since he was introduced as the Cougars’ 19th head coach in program history. Between retaining his roster, pulling players out of the transfer portal, and recruiting high school prospects — all of which he’s done — there have been plenty of midnight phone calls with the lone assistant coach on his staff.
It’s a good thing he and Brandon Dunson vibed together.
“Kevin has tried to put everything he can into this program during this time,” Dunson told KSL.com, joking that his boss has been getting “3-4 hours of sleep per week” while navigating the playoffs and college basketball offseason. “He’s been locked in … We’ve been trying to get things locked in with our own guys, with the portal, with staffing, all on top of him trying to overcome a deficit in the playoffs. He’s been working his tail off, and I’ve been here trying to be supportive of that.” 
Listen to the complete interview on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or on KSL.com.

Jake Hatch from the Locked on Cougars podcast and Ron Weaver III from ESPN 960 stop by to react to Mark Pope's stunning move from BYU to the head coaching position at the University of Kentucky, Thursday, April 11, 2024.
The guys talk about Pope's new job, whether UK got it right, and where BYU goes from here — including several head coaching candidates for the Cougars to consider.
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BYU reliever Stone Cushing joins the podcast after earning his seventh save of the season — tied for the fifth most in the country — to help BYU to a 7-5 win over Texas that clinched a series win over the Longhorns in Austin, Texas.
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BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick and defensive coordinator Jay Hill speak with the media after the Cougars' final spring practice, Saturday, March 30, 2024 in the Indoor Practice Facility in Provo, Utah.

KSL.com's Sean Walker catches up with BYU defensive end Tyler Batty after spring practice to talk about the senior's decision to push back the NFL Draft for one more year and return to Provo, what motivates him after the Cougars ended their first season in the Big 12 at 5-7, and the potential of the 2024 campaign at BYU.
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Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

BYU's Spencer Johnson, Jaxson Robinson and Dallin Hall meet with the media, followed by head coach Mark Pope, before the sixth-seeded Cougars' tip against 11th-seeded Duquesne in the 2024 NCAA men's basketball tournament, Wednesday, March 20, 2024 in Omaha, Nebraska.

BYU women's basketball coach Amber Whiting and point guard Amari Whiting speak with the media after the Cougars were selected to play in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT), with a first-round game Thursday at former West Coast Conference foe and fourth-seeded Santa Clara.
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BYU men's basketball coach Mark Pope and point guard Dallin Hall address the media before tipping off the 2024 Big 12 men's basketball tournament against UCF, Tuesday, March 12, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo.

BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter speaks with the host after spring football ahead of his sixth season of college football, where he discusses the NCAA waiver appeal he received to get back a season of eligibility, his preparation to follow the footsteps of his late father Kwamie and two older brothers towards the NFL Draft, and the veteran BYU wide receiver room in 2024.
Podcast intro: "Rockin' Royal," by Kody Epps and Malik Moore, CougConnect Studios. All rights reserved.

BYU guard Arielle Mackey-Williams joins the podcast to discuss how a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee led to her desire to find God, and eventual baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.