June 23, 2009

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio women's basketball has filled its empty coaching staff position as head coach Semeka Randall has announced the hiring of former Detroit Mercy and Western Michigan assistant Skyler Young as assistant coach. Young replaces Willis Brown, who recently stepped down to move closer to family in Nevada.

"We are very happy to be able to welcome Skyler to the Bobcat family," Randall said. "He is an energetic and hard working individual that will definitely be an asset to this program. He knows the conference well, having worked at Western Michigan before. Skyler will also help us tremendously in terms of his abilities to work with post players, scout opponents and aid in scheduling. He is also a good recruiter with great ties in the Midwest area that we will be able to take advantage of. We could not be more excited about this addition."

More than nine years of basketball experience in the collegiate and WNBA ranks, Young joins the `Cats from the University of Detroit Mercy, where he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on the Titans staff last season. In just one year at Detroit, Young left an impression, helping guide the Titans to a six-game turnaround from the previous season.

Prior to his stop in Detroit, Young spent three seasons on the staff of his alma mater Western Michigan under former coach Ron Stewart. While with the Broncos, he assisted in the mentoring of three All-Americans, including Carrie Moore, Casey Rost and Kristin Koetsier. Young also spent five years as a manager for the Broncos while finishing a degree in Business Management. During his time in Kalamazoo, he worked with several highly-successful teams, including the 2003 squad that won the Mid-American Conference championship and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Before joining the WMU staff full-time in 2005, Young spent one season as the equipment manager for the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. His duties with the Storm included managing team apparel and equipment and assisting with on-court individual skill development. While there, he worked with WNBA stars Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird.

"I am excited to be here and appreciative of this opportunity that coach Randall has given me," Young said. "This is a great opportunity to be at such a distinguished university and work with a successful program with a vibrant, knowledgeable staff."

Young is a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., and graduated from WMU in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in Business Management.