Coaching Staff - Head Coach - Jeff Young

Jeff Young - Head Coach, Walsh University

The most successful coach in Walsh University Basketball history, Jeff Young, returns for his eighth year on the bench. The only coach in the history of the American Mideast Conference to win (or share) seven-straight conference championships, Young enters the campaign two wins shy of 200 with 198 wins, and an .835 winning percentage. Last season he coached the Cavs to an unprecedented seventh straight NAIA championship appearance. Walsh won 30 games for just the third time in school history, and spent eight weeks as the number one team in the NAIA and as the top seed at the National Tournament for the second straight year.

Young has been associated with the program since 1986, where be began his career as a player. In 2004, he was hired as the university’s 12th head basketball coach. Prior to his appointment, Young served eleven plus years as an assistant to former Head Coach Steve Loy (1992-2004), who passed away February 7, 2004 due to complications from liver cancer.

In his first year as head coach, Young led Walsh to its first men’s basketball national championship and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year. He directed the Cavs to the AMC South Division title and an overall record of 27-8 and was named AMC Coach of the Year. Walsh completed their championship run with five-straight wins in Missouri to capture the crown. Walsh would receive further national attention when Robert Whaley, the NAIA Player of the Year, was selected in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, thus becoming the first Walsh player to be drafted. In his second season, Young led the Cavs to another AMC South title and NAIA National Tournament appearance. Despite failing to repeat as National Champions, the Cavs reached the NAIA Elite Eight and finished the season 27-7. In 2006-07, Walsh was again one of the most successful teams in the NAIA. The Cavs shared the AMC South regular season title with NAIA National Tournament qualifiers Cedarville University and Mount Vernon Nazarene, and then won the AMC Tournament championship. At the NAIA National Tournament, the Cavs reached the “Sweet 16” finishing the season 28-6. The 2007-08 season was again a stellar campaign for the Cavs. They won their fourth straight AMC crown (12-2), finished 25-6 overall, won the AMC North-South title game and reached the NAIA National Tournament for the fourth-straight time, again reaching the “Sweet 16”. The Cavs were ranked fourth in the final NAIA poll. The 2008-09 season  was no different than the previous four as Walsh again reached the NAIA National Tournament; tied for the AMC regular season title, won the AMC Tournament, and finished 27-4 overall and 12-1 in conference play. The 27-4 overall record and 12-1 AMC mark ranked tops in Young’s first five seasons. In 2009-10, the Cavs nearly matched their accomplishments of 2005, when they finished national runners-up, falling 67-66 to the University of Saint Francis in the title game. Walsh finished the season 32-3, with the 32 wins the second most in a single season at Walsh. They finished 15-1 in the AMC and won the AMC North/South Championship game. Last year the Cavs ran away from everyone in the AMC (17-1) and won their first 26 games and ranked number one the entire season up to that point. Walsh would finish 30-2 and regain the number one ranking and top seed in time for the NAIA National Tournament. At home, they have been nearly unbeatable under Young, winning 49-straight home games, 70 of 71, and 94 of their last 100 home contests. Walsh also shares the mark with Oregon Tech of having been ranked for 74-straight weeks in the NAIA Division ll poll.

Young has led the Cavs to 198 wins against only 39 losses, which includes an 101-14 AMC record. Young’s Cavs are the second winningest team in the NAIA the last eight years, and became the first team to win seven-straight MOC/AMC championships in over 50 years. Consistency has been a benchmark, as Walsh has not lost two games in a row since the 2006-07 season.

For the past six years, Young has worked the NIKE Championship Basketball Clinic with the likes of Billy Donovan, Bobby Knight, Tom Izzo and Basketball Hall of Famer Larry Brown.

Young enjoyed a stellar career at Akron Ellet High School. He earned three letters for Bruce Moore and the Orangemen and scored 886 points. He was first-team All-City Series, All-Summit County, All-District and a third-team All-Ohio selection. 

The sharp shooting guard enrolled at Walsh in 1986 and launched a magnificent four-year career. Young demonstrated his ability to score right away, and in his freshman season averaged 6.4 ppg in 32 games. In his sophomore season he averaged 14.6 ppg and was named first-team All-MOC and All-District 22. He averaged 19.5 ppg his junior year and was named second-team All-MOC, and first-team All-District 22. Young’s senior year was just as prolific as the first three. He averaged 20.1 points and led the Cavs to the NAIA playoffs. Young scored 1,814 career points to become Walsh’s all-time scoring leader (since broken by Corry Appline). He was named first-team All-MOC and District 22, District 22 Player of the Year, and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American his senior year. Young averaged 15.0 ppg and is currently third on the all-time scoring list. He is a member (player) of the Walsh University Wall of Fame.

Young, an Akron native, earned his bachelor's degree from Walsh in physical education in 1990. He completed requirements for his master's degree in education from Walsh in 1991. Young also served as Walsh’s Men’s Golf Coach for seven years and initiated the women’s program. He guided the men to the American Mideast Conference Golf Championship and a NAIA National Tournament appearance in 2002, and led the women to the AMC title in their first full year. In October of 2009 Jeff was inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame. Jeff and his wife, the former Lesley Keller, were blessed with the birth of their first child, Audrey Paige, in December 2006 and twins Benjamin Jeffrey and Tessa Rae and newborn son Blake. The Youngs reside in Jackson Township.