Mike Young
Mike Young is a 1986 graduate of Emory & Henry College, who says the highlight of his college playing career was playing for Coach Bob Johnson. Mike has worked hard to emulate the example of his revered mentor Bob Johnson, and today we pause to recognize Mike’s own success as a head coach.
Mike has just completed his 26th year on the Wofford College bench, beginning his career there as assistant basketball coach for then head coach Richard Johnson. Prior to his term at Wofford, he was an assistant for Bob Johnson at Emory & Henry, and also for Oliver Purnell at Radford University.
Mike has been Wofford’s head basketball coach since 2002, and in his inaugural season with the Terriers he led the team to their best record in eight seasons on the Division I level and a third-place finish in the SoCon South Division.
He has led the Terriers to Southern Conference Tournament Championships in 2010, ‘11, ‘14, and ‘15. They are one of only four programs nationally to win their conference title four of the past six years, and only one of 43 teams nationally to reach the NCAA Tournament at least 4 of the last 6 seasons. This past season, the team went 28-7 overall, went 16-2 in the Southern Conference, won the SoCon Championship, and even got a win against NC State.
Mike has had 217 career wins as Wofford’s head coach, making him one of only three coaches in Wofford history to garner more than 200 wins, and he ranks 8th in Southern Conference history. He is a three-time SoCon Coach of the Year, and has received national recognition as the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year.
Many of his players have gone on to play professionally, but he has got to be equally proud of the fact that he has a 100 percent graduate rate for his student-athletes who have completed their eligibility at Wofford.