Sources: Suns’ Young finalizing deal with BYU

Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young is finalizing a long-term deal to become the next coach at Brigham Young University, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Young — the highest paid assistant in the NBA — had been a significant candidate for league head coaching jobs in the past two hiring cycles, but BYU landed him with a sizable commitment to lead the Cougars into their second Big 12 Conference season and beyond.

Young replaces Mark Pope, who left for the Kentucky job after delivering BYU an NCAA tournament bid in their inaugural Big 12 season.

Young, who was born in Salt Lake City, will continue working with the Suns in the playoffs, but will begin assembling a coaching staff that’ll immediately start recruiting for BYU, sources said.

Young spent eight years coaching in the NBA G League — including head-coaching jobs with the Utah Flash, Iowa Energy and Delaware 87ers. Young began to gain momentum as a head-coaching candidate in openings a year ago, including interviews with the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets and Suns. Young previously interviewed for head-coaching jobs with the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.

The Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets interviewed him for jobs this spring too, sources said.

Young started his coaching career in 2007 as an assistant at Utah Valley University.