APSU Sports Information
Clarksville, TN – Mark Youngs, who spent last season as an assistant at North Central College and spent nearly a decade as a head coach in the NAIA ranks, is joining David Midlick‘s Austin Peay State University women’s basketball coaching staff.
Youngs spent last season at North Central, serving as recruiting coordinator and assistant coach.
His skills on the recruiting trail allowed North Central to secure five verbal commitments before Christmas at a school that had never had multiple verbal commitments at one time in the past.
Prior to his time in Naperville, Youngs spent three seasons as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at Monmouth. While in West Long Branch, New Jersey, Youngs helped install an up-tempo offense that took the Hawks from 294th among Division I schools in three-pointers when he arrived in 2014 to 11th in the nation by his third season. As recruiting coordinator, he was instrumental in bringing in Kayla Shaw, a MAAC All-Rookie selection in 2016-17 whose only offer came from Youngs and Monmouth.
Youngs got his collegiate start by starting Davenport University’s women’s basketball program in 2002, going 238-62 over nine seasons as the Panthers advanced to seven NAIA National Tournaments, including two Sweet Sixteen Appearances and an Elite Eight.
During his tenure, Youngs was a four-time Wolverine Hoosier Conference Coach of the Year, two-time WBCA / Rawlings Regional Coach of the Year and was voted the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan’s College Coach of the Year in 2010. In his final season, Youngs led Davenport to a school-best 37-1 record and national runner-up honors, averaging 91 points per game.
Youngs has added some international flair to his résumé as well. he was the head coach of the gold medal-winning USA Athletes International team at the 2008 United World Games in Austria and was tabbed by USA Basketball as a coach for the 2011 World University Games and USA U19 World Championship teams. After departing Davenport, he also spent a year at Dunk! International Basketball Club in Accra, Ghana, designing and implementing coaching curriculum for one of Africa’s top programs.
“Mark has accomplished a lot at the collegiate level,” Midlick said. “He has been a successful head coach, recruiter and skill-developer. Our players will enjoy being around him and get better under his tutelage.
“Just as importantly, Mark coaches with enthusiasm and a positive attitude, and he is a coach who will represent this University and program with integrity. I’m happy to welcome Mark and his family to Austin Peay and the Clarksville community.”
A 1999 graduate of Hope (Mich.) College, Youngs and his wife Amber have two sons, Trey and Eli.
