The BYU Cougars basketball team is adding an NBA coach as an assistant, Kevin Young announced this week.
Former Memphis Grizzlies assistant Patrick Mutombo brings a wealth of knowledge to Provo. He has coached some of the best players in the league, including Kawhi Leonard, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He matched the NBA mindset of Young, who had made his mark on BYU competing to next-level standards.
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Patrick and his family to Provo," Young said. "Patrick is one of the best humans I've met in the game of basketball. Cougar Nation will love him and his family. He has tremendous experience in the NBA and with USA Basketball, which will be of great benefit to all of our players and staff. We couldn't be more excited to add the Mutombo family to BYU basketball."
Mutombo (no relation to Dikembe Mutombo) was a two-time NCAA Division II National Champion under Mike Dunlap at Metro State University in Denver during the early 2000s. He was named the RMAC Player of the Year as a junior in 2002, averaging a team-high 16.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He was also named the NCAA Division II Tournament MVP in 2002. Mutombo was later inducted into the Metro State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.
After college, Mutombo played professional basketball overseas for seven clubs before making a jump into coaching as an NBA assistant with the Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks and Grizzlies. His time in Phoenix overlapped with Young, who was also an assistant for the Suns before taking over at BYU.
Mutumbo won an NBA championship when the Raptors defeated the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals. Overall, he has ten years of coaching experience in the league.
Young has always tried to construct his staff with NBA coaches to prepare his players for the next phase of their careers. This will be key for the ones expected to leave after the season, including Rob Wright III, who's expected to be one of the best guards in the country. Young and his staff could have two NBA lottery picks in 2027, if Bruce Branch III lives up to expectations during the upcoming season.
Mutombo will be part of his first college basketball coaching staff at BYU. Young's staff also includes Tim Fanning, John Linehan, Brandon Dunson and Chris Burgess. He replaces Will Voigt, who left for Boise State right after the 2025-26 season.
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