Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Following "30 glorious years" with the program, including 17 as head coach, Mike Young is arguably the most accomplished coach in Wofford men's basketball history. Young's 299 career wins at Wofford rank first in program history and second in Southern Conference (SoCon) history to former Davidson head coach Bob McKillop. He was also named coach of the year three times in the league (2010, 2014, 2015) and led Wofford to five NCAA tournaments during his tenure.
Young gets the first crack at his former program Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, when the Terriers visit Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum. Fans interested in attending the marquee matchup can find tickets HERE.
An assistant coach (1989-98) and an associate head coach (1998-02) for the Terriers, Young took the reins of the Wofford men's basketball program in 2002 as former coach Richard Johnson transitioned to director of athletics at the college. During his time as an assistant, Young helped usher the Terriers into Division 1 basketball in 1995-96 and eventually into the SoCon. Below, we highlight nine of Coach Young's most memorable games at Wofford.
First Win
Nov. 26, 2002 – Wofford 80, Emmanuel College (Ga.) 54 (Spartanburg, S.C.)
Young's first career win as a head coach came against Emmanuel College (Ga.) on Nov. 26, 2002, in Spartanburg, S.C. Young's Terriers took down the Saints, 80-54. Chris Bearden led Emmanuel with 26 points. Mike Lenzley led Wofford with 22 points and five rebounds. Ironically, Coach Young's second career win, and first Division I win, came against Virginia Tech in Cassell Coliseum. The Terriers came to Blacksburg and pulled out a gutsy 79-77 win on December 2, 2002.
Mike Young (left) was promoted to head coach at Wofford in 2002.
First Win Against a Power 5 Opponent
Dec. 5, 2004 – Wofford 85, Auburn 78 (Auburn, Ala.)
Young's initial win against a Power 5 opponent came on December 5, 2004. Wofford traveled to Auburn, Ala., and took down the Tigers, 85-78. The Terriers were up four at the half and never looked back. Wofford was led by Adrien Borders with 21 points. Ian Young's 22 points and Quinnel Brown's 17 were not enough to lead Auburn to victory.
100th Win
Jan. 9, 2010 – Wofford 72, Elon 55 (Elon, N.C.)
Young's 100th win came against Elon on Jan. 9, 2010. In the 72-55 contest, Noah Dahlman poured in 18 points for the Terriers. On the other side, Adam Constantine scored 21 points for the Phoenix.
First SoCon Tournament Championship Win
March 8, 2010 – Wofford 56, Appalachian State 51 (Charlotte, N.C.)
Behind SoCon Tournament MVP Noah Dahlman, Young's Terriers claimed their first SoCon tournament title with a 56-51 win vs. Appalachian State on March 8, 2010. Top-seeded Wofford, up 15 at the half, utilized its defense to help preserve the five-point victory. Cameron Rundles came off the bench and scored 20 points to lead the Terriers in scoring. The Mountaineers were led by 11 points from Ryann Abraham off the bench.
First Career NCAA Tournament Appearance
March 20, 2010 – Wisconsin 53, Wofford 49 (Jacksonville, Fla.)
In his eighth year as head coach, Young steered Wofford to the 2010 NCAA tournament. Following the SoCon tournament championship win against Appalachian State, the Wofford Terriers punched their ticket to the Big Dance. Wofford was seeded 13th in the East Region, matching up against fourth-seeded Wisconsin on March 20, 2010. Down eight at the half, Wofford's second-half comeback fell just short. The Badgers used 20 points from Jon Leuer and 19 from Trevon Hughes to hold off the Terriers. Jamar Diggs contributed 13 points on 6 of 12 shooting for the Terriers. The loss capped a magical season by Wofford, ending the campaign with a 26-9 overall record.
200th Win
Jan. 5, 2015 – Wofford 68, Chattanooga 64 (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
A strong second half powered Wofford to a 68-64 road victory at Chattanooga to clinch Young's 200th career win. The Terriers outscored the Mocs 48-34 in the second stanza. Wofford's Karl Cochran led all scorers with 33 points, drilling 6 of 9 from downtown.
First Career Win Against a Top 25 Opponent
Dec. 20, 2017 – Wofford 79, No. 5 North Carolina 75 (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Fletcher Magee led all players with 27 points, 16 of which came in the second half, to propel Wofford to the 79-75 upset of defending national champion and fifth-ranked North Carolina. It was the Terriers' first win over an AP Top 25 team in program history, and the first of Young's career. Cameron Jackson set a program record with six blocks to go along with 18 points.
Wofford upsets No. 5 UNC in 2017.
Fifth SoCon Tournament Title
March 11, 2019 – Wofford 70, UNC Greensboro 58 (Asheville, N.C.)
Following a perfect 18-0 mark in SoCon regular-season play, the top-seeded Terriers went 3-0 in Asheville to hoist their fifth SoCon tournament title in program history. Young improved to 5-0 in tournament championship games. Fletcher Magee and Nathan Hoover both chipped in 20 points apiece.
Mike Young steers Wofford to the 2019 SoCon title – his fifth with the program.
First Career NCAA Tournament Victory
March 21, 2019 – Wofford 84, Seton Hall 68 (Jacksonville, Fla.)
No. 19 Wofford, seeded seventh in the region, got a team-high 24 points from Fletcher Magee to record its first-ever NCAA tournament victory – 84-68 – over No. 10 seed Seton Hall. Magee drained seven 3-pointers to break the all-time record for career threes in Division I history.
Mike Young reacts during Wofford's win over Seton Hall in the 2019 NCAA tournament.