Tim Fanning and John Linehan have been added to Kevin Young’s new staff at BYU as assistant basketball coaches.
“I’m excited to welcome Tim to BYU,” Young said. “He comes with very unique coaching experiences after coaching in the NBA G-League, Euroleague and being a head coach at different levels. Tim has traveled the world learning different philosophies and gained a strong network along the way. He’s a very intelligent coach with a strong background in player development. Our entire program will benefit from Tim’s expertise.”
Fanning comes to BYU after spending three seasons at Overtime Elite, where he played a part in the development of countless Division I and professional players, including serving as head coach for projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 Draft, Alex Sarr. He also worked with Amen Thompson, No. 4 pick in the 2023 Draft, and two-time FIBA World Cup Most Valuable Player Izan Almansa.
The native of Oakland, Calif. spent nearly five years as an assistant coach for Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. He was a part of a coaching staff that won four straight Israeli League titles, including the last two with former Cougar Elijah Bryant.
Fanning was elevated to head coach of the Nelson Giants of the New Zealand NBL after spending one season as an assistant coach. Raymond Cowels earned NBL All-Star Five accolades under Fanning in 2015-16, finishing second in the league in scoring at 25.7 points per game. Fanning led the team to a runner-up finish in 2014-15, led by McKenzie Moore who earned NBL All-Star Five honors after averaging 21.7 points per game.
He also spent time with the New Zealand National Team in 2014, helping the Tall Blacks advance out of the group stage of the FIBA World Cup that included United States and Turkey.
Fanning spent one season an assistant coach and video coordinator for the Delaware 87ers where he worked with Young. He got his start in coaching in Spain when he was still playing semiprofessionally.
He spent five years as the head coach of various teams while becoming one of the first Americans to complete his coaching certification with the Spanish Basketball Federation. Fanning was named the head coach for the Canaries Basketball Academy U-16 team, helping them reach the Spanish Championship for the first time in academy history.
“John comes to BYU after working for two coaches I have great respect for in Billy Lange and Tom Crean,” Young said. “He is an exceptional player development coach, who has worked with some of the game’s great players. John will help our guys get better every day with his energy and passion for development. John is one of the best defensive players in NCAA history and will bring that edge to our program.”
Linehan comes to Provo after spending the past two seasons at St. Joseph’s. In 2023-24, he was instrumental in helping the Hawks go 21-14 earning a bid into the National Invitation Tournament where they faced eventual champions Seton Hall in the first round. Xzayvier Brown was named a finalist for the Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year Award after leading the Hawks in steals, 62, and scoring 12.7 points per game.
He spent 2019-22 at Georgia under Tom Crean where he was instrumental in player development, including working with current Timberwolves star and former No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards. In his lone season in Athens, Ga., Edwards was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and was one of five finalists for the Jerry West Award.
He spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Hartford, helping the Hawks to a 37-29 record and an appearance in the CIT. He was instrumental in 10 players earn All-America East honors. Linehan spent the 2016-17 season at Brown, helping the Bears rank first in the Ivy League and 37th in the nation in steals per game, 7.6.
He spent the 2015-16 season as an operations assistant at Drexel after spending the previous season as a graduate assistant at Temple. In the summer of 2015, he worked with Young as a volunteer assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers and Delaware 87ers.
The Chester, Pa. native was a four-year standout at Providence and is considered one of the top defenders in NCAA history. The two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year set a then-record for steals in a career with 385, after leading the league in steals in three of his four seasons. As a senior, he was named the National Defensive Player of the Year by the NABC, ESPN.com and CollegeInsider.com.
Following the completion of his eligibility, Linehan played professionally from 2002-14. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year in France’s Pro A League four times with three different teams: Paris-Levallois (2005, 2006), Cholet (2010) and Nancy (2011). He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year in Estonia’s Pro A League in 2009.
