The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Lady Wolfpack is looking to help their veteran coach hit a milestone tonight.
Coach Gwyn Young has led the team to 11-1 so far this season, but the team hit win number 999 on Tuesday. If all goes well, Thursday night could be 1,000 career wins for the longtime Co-Lin athletics icon.
In his 47 year career at the school, Young is a member of the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Copiah-Lincoln Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Association of Community College Conferences Hall of Fame.
Young’s former players have signed with over 37 different colleges and universities in his career with many former Lady Wolves going on to become coaches themselves.
Young was named Region XXIII Coach of the Year in 1989, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2010, and 2011, and MACJC and MAC Coach of the Year in 1993, 2001, 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2013. The Clarion-Ledger has also recognized him as Coach of the Year for Junior College on numerous occasions, and the court in Mullen Gymnasium was named in his honor in 2011.
Story continues below.
He also served as the men’s assistant coach from 1975-1978 where he helped lead the team to an MACJC State Championship in 1975-76 before becoming the head coach in 1978 for one season that finished 10-12 overall. Other coaching duties included the slow pitch softball team, which Young led to the 1988 MACJC State and NJCAA Region XXIII titles.
Young was a standout player for the Wolves. After graduating from Co-Lin, he attended Mississippi College where he was team Most Valuable Player and a team captain. Young received his bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College and master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Young and his wife, Velesta, have two children, Lane and Jessica, and five grandchildren, Mailey Kate and Reece Young; Justin, Mary Gwyn, and Grant Hynum.