In what has been a busy 24 hours for UConn men’s basketball, head coach Dan Hurley has officially rounded out his coaching staff for the upcoming season. Kevin Freeman is returning to UConn as an assistant coach while Kimani Young has been promoted to an associate head coach position. These changes come in the wake of assistant coach Kenya Hunter taking a job at Indiana University in early August.
Young joined the team in 2018 as an assistant coach and has been a key factor in many facets of the program during his time.
“Since we’ve been here, Coach Young’s contributions in coaching, recruiting and player development, as well as in the building of our culture, have been immeasurable,” Hurley said in a statement from UConn Athletics. “He is a leader of young men, who connects with young people and builds strong relationships both inside and outside our program.”
Young shines brightest in the recruiting field, where he and Hurley have spearheaded a formidable unit as of late. Most notably, Young has played a large part in bringing in back-to-back top 25 recruiting classes, with the class of 2021 — currently ranked No. 6 in the nation by 247Sports — likely to be his third straight.
“I am thrilled, excited and humbled to be named associate head coach at UConn,” Young said. “We will continue the work that we have started, getting UConn basketball back to where it belongs.”
Also taking on a new role for the Huskies is newly hired assistant coach Kevin Freeman. The Massachusetts native played at UConn for four years, was a member of the 1999 NCAA Championship team and graduated eighth in career rebounds, leading the way in career games played.
Prior to rejoining the Huskies as a coach, Freeman spent two years as the assistant coach at Penn State, showing his chops as a high-level recruiter. Working with head coach Patrick Chambers, the Lions were on pace to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011, and their 2021 recruiting class currently ranks No. 34 according to 247Sports.
Freeman and Young’s talents will be welcome additions to the program and bring us one step closer to the season’s beginning.