Trae Young announced as Assistant GM to OU Men's Basketball team

University of Oklahoma Vice President and Athletics Director Joe Castiglione announced Monday that OU has hired former Sooners All-American and four-time NBA All-Star Trae Young as assistant general manager for men's basketball. Castiglione also announced that Young has pledged to donate $1 million to support the championship efforts of that program.

As assistant general manager, the 26-year-old Young — who attended Norman North High School and was named a first-team All-American and National Freshman of the Year for the Sooners in the 2017-18 season when he became the first player in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in points per game (27.4) and assists per game (8.7) — will lend support in OU player personnel and strategic roster management planning, and will serve a critical role in helping build student-athletes' brands and maximizing their potential.



"Trae is a son of Norman, Oklahoma, and he's given so much to our city and its people," said Castiglione. "He has a strong affinity for this place and his commitment to ensuring our community is a thriving one is truly unmatched. He's also an OU legend who, in his time here and since, continues to achieve excellence both on and off the court. With this appointment, we're taking his commitment to Norman and to OU to the next level, dedicating our mutual support together to the success of our men's basketball program. His mind is made for this game, and we're incredibly fortunate he's in our corner wanting to put his talents and innovative thinking toward strengthening our program. On top of that, his continued financial generosity buoys our efforts in ways few other schools can enjoy. Even as he's thriving in the NBA, he never forgets his roots. We couldn't be more appreciative of him as well as excited to work together in helping our program flourish in this new era of college athletics."

Young's responsibilities will include assisting with the evaluation of high school and transfer portal prospects, as well as helping negotiate player contracts in accordance with NCAA and conference rules and the team's revenue share budget. He will also assist with university fundraising initiatives to help grow support for OU's men's basketball program.

"As someone who grew up in Norman and played at the University of Oklahoma, stepping into the role of assistant GM for OU Basketball is a huge honor," said Young. "This program has such a rich history, which I am fortunate to have been and continue to be a part of. In my new role, my focus is on helping contribute to OU's winning culture, working alongside the coaching staff and front office to bring in the right players to help us compete and succeed at the highest level."

OU Head Men's Basketball Coach Porter Moser expressed gratitude for the financial gift and strong enthusiasm for the hire.

"This is a really big day and incredibly exciting," said Moser. "First, just a huge thank-you to Trae for the $1 million gift to our program. What an unbelievably gracious offering. It will be put to effective use as we continue on our path toward sustained high-level success. We are extraordinarily grateful for the generous contribution.

"Second, Trae's addition as assistant general manager is going to pay significant dividends for our program on multiple levels. He is a basketball junkie in so many ways. He's obviously one of the biggest and most recognizable on-court talents in the world, so he brings immediate credibility with younger players. But I can tell you that Trae also pays close attention to the national basketball landscape and is dialed in to all levels of the sport. His knowledge, coupled with his desire for our program to be the best it can be, will absolutely move us forward."

Oklahoma's 11th first-team consensus All-American, Young set program, conference and NCAA records throughout his prolific season with the Sooners. His 27.4 scoring average still stands as the highest ever recorded by an OU or Big 12 Conference player. His 8.7 assists per game that year still represent the school single-season standard, and his 22 handouts against Northwestern State on Dec. 19, 2017, tied the NCAA record for most assists in a game (assists were first tracked in 1983-84).

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Young owns Oklahoma's freshman season records for points (876), assists (279) and 3-pointers (118). He is the OU single-season record holder in scoring average (27.4), assist average (8.7) and free throw makes (236). His 876 total points are the fourth most in a single season by a Sooner, trailing only Wayman Tisdale (932 in 1984-85 and 919 in 1983-84) and Buddy Hield (925 in 2015-16).

The seventh-year Atlanta Hawk was an NBA All-Star selection in 2020, '22, '24 and '25, was named to the league's all-rookie team in 2018-19 and earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2021-22. He owns career averages of 25.3 points, 9.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game and is the Hawks' all-time leader in 3-point field goals (1,253). He led the NBA with 2,155 points and with 737 assists in 2021-22. He paced the league in assists in 2022-23 and is doing it again this season.

This past Thursday, Young became the youngest player in NBA history to record 12,000 career points and 4,500 assists.