Meet the Candidates
Updated: Apr 5, 2019
The question on the mind of many BYU fans is who will be the successor to Dave Rose. Coach Rose had led the BYU basketball program for 14 years until his retirement last week. Coach Rose led the Cougars to 348 wins and 8 NCAA tournaments in his 14 years. Cougar fans hope that whoever is hired can build on that and take the Cougars to new heights. So lets get to know the candidates.
Mark Pope
Played 2 Years at the University of Washington before transferring to Kentucky (1991-1996)
Won an NCAA championship at Kentucky (1996)
2nd round pick by the Indiana Pacers (1996)
Played in the NBA and Europe (1997-2005)
Georgia, Assistant Coach (2009-2010)
Wake Forest, Assistant Coach (2010-2011)
Hired by Dave Rose to be an assistant at BYU (2011-2015)
Utah Valley, Head Coach (77–56)(2015-Present)
PROS
Has head Coaching Experience
Understands BYU
Known as a great recruiter for high school players and transfers
Cons
Looking for a bigger job
Similar style to Coach Rose, wouldn’t bring a big change.
Hasn’t had as much success as anticipated at UVU (No NCAA Tournament or NIT appearances)
Mark Madsen
Played at Stanford (1996-2000), led them to a final 4 in 1998
Selected 29th overall by Lakers in 2000
NBA titles in 2001 and 2002
Utah Flash NBA D League, Assistant Coach (2009-2010)
Assistant at Stanford (2012-2013)
Head coach of LA D-Fenders D League (2013)
Promoted to player development (2013)
Lakers Assistant (2013-Present)
Pros
NBA experience, can be used in recruiting
Would be great at relations with boosters and fans
Player Development
Cons
Only has spent 1 year as a head coach (D League)
Limited recruiting experience
Has only spent one year as a college coach
Barret Peery
Played at Southern Utah & Snow College (1991-1995)
Southern Utah, Assistant Coach (1995-96)
Snow College, Assistant Coach (1996-97)
Utah Valley, Assistant Coach (1997-98)
Southern Utah, Assistant Coach (1998-02)
Portland State, Assistant Coach (2002-03)
College of Southern Idaho, Head Coach (2005-08, 85-19), Assistant Coach (2003-05)
Utah, Assistant Coach (2008-11)
Indian Hills CC (IA), Head Coach (2011-14)
Arizona State, Assistant Coach (2014-15)
Santa Clara, Associate Head Coach (2016-17)
Portland State, Head Coach (2017-present)
Pros
Has coached and has connections all over
Considered a good recruiter
Has always been a winner (217-59 head coaching record)
Cons
Limited connections to BYU
Hasn’t stood out at Portland State
Would his style (Up-tempo and full-court defense) fit at BYU
Quincy Lewis
Played 2 years at Dixie College, and 2 years at Wagner (1989-1993)
BYU-Hawaii, Assistant Coach (1995-97)
Utah Valley State College Assistant Coach (1997-02)
Southern Utah Assistant Coach (2002-03)
Lone Peak High School Head Coach (2003-15)
BYU Assistant Coach (2015-present)
Pros
Already has a relationship with the players
Won a National Championship at Lone Peak
Could recruit well in Utah
Cons
Limited experience outside of BYU
Fans want to see a change in the program
Not a flashy or exciting hire
Kevin Young
Played at Middle Georgia and Clayton State (2000-2004)
Shamrock Rovers (Ireland), Assistant Coach 2006-2007
Utah Flash NBA D League, Assistant Coach (2007-2010)
Utah Flash, Head Coach (2010-2011)
Iowa Energy NBA D League, Assistant Coach (2011-2013)
Delaware 87ers NBA D League, Assistant Coach (2013-2014)
Delaware 87ers, Head Coach (2014-2017)
Philadelphia 76ers, Assistant Coach (2017-Present)
Pros
Head Coaching experience
Player development
NBA experience is a recruiting tool
Cons
No college experience
No connection to BYU other than being LDS
Alex Jensen
Played at University of Utah (1994-2000)
Played in Europe (2000-2007)
Saint Louis University, Assistant Coach (2007-2011)
Canton Charge NBA D League, Head Coach (2011-2013)
Utah Jazz, Assistant Coach (2013-Present)
German National Team, Assistant Coach (2015-Present)
Pros
Rising star in the coaching world
Great offensive mind
International connections
NBA experience is a recruiting tool
Cons
Likely not interested
Limited college experience
Unknown as a recruiter
These six candidates all have different strengths and weaknesses, and while the pool of potential head coaches at BYU is always limited, there are many candidates who could do a great job. The coaches in the NBA, Madsen, Young and Jensen, are all very intriguing, but does being an NBA assistant translate into being a good college head coach? The three candidates currently in the college game, Pope, Lewis and Peery, are all very different. Coaches Pope and Peery have both consistently won in their current positions, but neither has led their team to a conference championship and the NCAA tournament. Coach Lewis was a very accomplished High School Coach, but is he qualified to be the head coach at a school like BYU?
With each coach there are questions, and with each coach there is potential. Whoever BYU hires needs to surround themselves with the right assistants to get the job done and start winning. I think in the right situation each of these candidates could find success, hopefully Tom Holmoe and Brian Santiago are able to hire the coach who is ready to win now.
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