Who is Jamie Young? All we know about Villanova basketball’s new assistant coach
Jamie Young, a former assistant coach in the NBA, is set to join Villanova's basketball team for the 2024-25 season. Young will join Mike Nardi, Dwayne Anderson, and Ashley Howard as an assistant coach under Wildcats' head coach Kyle Neptune.
ESPN insider Pete Thamel announced on Thursday via X that Villanova has signed Young from Le Moyne.
"Sources: Villanova basketball is hiring longtime NBA assistant Jamie Young as an assistant coach. Young comes to Villanova after a year at Le Moyne. He spent 23 years in the NBA, including 20 in various roles with the Boston Celtics and two seasons as a 76ers assistant."
Young's career includes stints with top NBA teams and a role as an assistant coach for the Le Moyne College men’s basketball team. He was a former basketball player who went undrafted in the 1998 NBA draft. In 2011, Young became an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics.
Young's history with the Boston Celtics dates back to 2000. He initially worked as a video coordinator and later served as an advance scout for the franchise. When Boston won the NBA championship in 2008, Young was still there working as a scout. After spending a decade at the Celtics, Young transitioned to an assistant coaching position with the team under head coach Doc Rivers.
Jamie Young became part of the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff in August 2021, serving as an assistant. During his time with the Sixers, he played a significant role in players' development. After two seasons, he left Philadelphia in October 2023 to join the coaching staff at Le Moyne Dolphins.
Jamie Young's early life and start of coaching career
Jamie Young is originally from Indiana and completed his studies at Blackburn College in 1998, achieving a bachelor’s degree in physical education. After college, Young entered for the 1998 NBA draft but, unfortunately, was not selected by any team. Being undrafted, he decided to retire from playing and ventured into a coaching role.
"High school basketball is a big deal in Indiana," Young said. “I played at Logansport High School, which had the smallest gym in our conference, but it seated 6,000 people."
Young began his coaching journey at Greenville College, a Division III school in Illinois as an assistant coach from 1998 to 2000.
Moreover, alongside his coaching career, Young also initiated a charity called the Young Hope Basketball Academy aimed at offering basketball camps for kids from second to eighth grades. All the funds they raised went to the Erika Kate Hope Alliance, offering grants to families whose children were undergoing cardiac care.