Rockhurst Men’s Basketball head coach Drew Diener has announced the addition of Galen Young as an assistant coach for the Hawks. Young previously served two seasons as an assistant coach for the Lane College Dragons.
“Galen is a great addition to our staff,” Diener said. “He comes highly recommended from every coach he has played for and worked with. He has been exposed to many coaches here in the States, as well as abroad. His recruiting ties with former coaches and players are strong and will be an asset to our program.
“He has great energy and develops great relationships with players and staff. As a former NBA draft pick, he undoubtedly has an expertise in player development. We are ecstatic to have him joining our program.”
A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Young graduated from Hillcrest High School where he played basketball under coach John Anderson. After graduation, he attended Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Mississippi, where he led the Rangers to a sixth-place finish in the NJCAA National Tournament. As a sophomore, he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and a two-time selection for All-State. He was a NJCAA All-American and named to the All-Tournament Team.
Young took his talents to North Carolina-Charlotte after transferring from NW Mississippi CC, where he would lead the 49ers to two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. During his senior season, UNC-Charlotte won the Conference USA Championship, where he was selected as the team MVP, Conference USA Tournament MVP and was named to the All-Conference Team.
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Young in the second round of the 1999 NBA Draft. After a brief stint in the NBA, he took his talents all over the world playing professional basketball in eight different countries. In the United States, he played in the CBA, ABA and NBL.
Young has been a part of two national championships in his career. In 2007, he played for the Yakima Sun Kings when they won the CBA championship and he was selected as Player of the Year. In 2010, he was an NBL Champion with the Perth Wildcats.
In 2011, Young was a player/coach for the East Kentucky Energy of the ABA where he led them to an ABA Final Four. He was named one of the ABA’s East All-Star Team Coaches for the 2011 ABA All-Star game. After retiring in 2012 with the birth of his twin sons (Grayson and Ellis Young), he returned to UNC-Charlotte to complete his degree in criminal justice.
In October of 2015, Young was named to the Northwest Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame, ranking in the top 10 in several categories, including second all-time in total rebounds and free throws.
https://rockhursthawks.com/news/2020/9/11/galen-young-joins-mens-basketball-coaching-staff.aspx
