FIRST ON 3: UNCW now dancing with Wofford head basketball coach

Wofford basketball coach Mike Young said Wednesday he has been contacted about the vacant position at UNC Wilmington – reports GOUPSATE.com.

“I’ve had conversations informally with the athletic director (Kelly Landry Mehrtens), but nothing I would consider substantial,” Young said. “I don’t know where that situation stands. But I didn’t think it would hurt anything to talk to her a little bit.”

Young has been the head coach at Wofford for eight years and on the staff for 21. He guided the Terriers this season to a 26-9 record, 15-3 in the Southern Conference, their first tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

He was named Mid-Major Coach of the Year, beating out Brad Stevens of Butler among others. Stevens led the Bulldogs to the national title game against Duke.

Young said he has only tried to get one job since his arrival at Wofford.

“I applied for the Erskine College job in 1993,” he said. “I don’t even have a resume.”

UNC Wilmington reassigned its head coach in late January, moving Benny Moss to another position within the athletics department after going 41-74 in nearly four full seasons. Brooks Lee, a former assistant under Young in 2002-03, took over as the interim head coach and went 2-8 down the stretch. Brooks was director of basketball operations at East Carolina for a season before going to UNC Wilmington.

The Seahawks finished 9-22, 5-14 in the Colonial Athletic Association, which was won by Old Dominion. Other teams in the league, in order of finish, are Northeastern, William & Mary, George Mason, Virginia Commonwealth, Drexel, Hofstra, Towson, Georgia State, James Madison and Delaware.

Wofford lost two seniors, including starter Junior Salters from Broome High School, and will return a strong cast that includes Southern Conference player of the year Noah Dahlman and all-league players Jamar Diggs and Tim Johnson.

“I think I’ve got the best job in the world,” Young said. “I’ve got a group of guys coming back that I love like family. I fully intend to be here for the next 20 years. But it’s part of the business and I don’t think it hurts a lick to see what’s out there. We’ll see what happens.”

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