BYU Athletic Director Tom Holmoe has announced the addition of Guard Young as the university's new women's gymnastics head coach.
'We are pleased to announce Guard as our new gymnastics coach,' Holmoe said. 'He is passionate about gymnastics and comes with an amazing resume both as a coach and as a world-class gymnast. Guard has been successful everywhere he's been. His experience has prepared him to be a great head coach and lead our program to renewed success.'
Young comes to BYU from the University of Oklahoma, where he was an assistant men's gymnastics coach for nine total seasons (2000–2005, 2011–2015). Not only was he a part of four NCAA championship teams and five NCAA runner-up teams in his time at OU, but he also competed as a member of the U.S. Senior National Gymnastics Team. In 2001, Young won a team silver medal at the World Championships in Ghent, Belgium, and received a team silver medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Young is a former member of the BYU men's gymnastics team. From 1996 to 2000, he won six All-American awards and two NCAA National Championships on the vault. He also placed runner-up in the individual all-around at the 2000 NCAA Championships. Due to his success at BYU, Young was inducted into the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.
Young's father, Wayne Young, was the men's gymnastics coach from 1979 to 1987 after being on the BYU team in the early 1970s and also has a place in the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a former Cougar, Guard Young developed a love for BYU. “BYU has a special place in my heart. I am excited to get to know the team and get to work,” he said. “There is strong support for women’s gymnastics at BYU, and I’m looking forward to building a championship program.'