The coach who left BYU to venture off to Utah is reversing course, again.Chris Burgess, the one-time Cougar assistant under Mark Pope, is coming back to Provo to work for new head coach Kevin Young.Burgess was at BYU from 2019-22 and was one of Pope’s best local recruiters during the West Coast Conference days.

First, as a young player, he said no to the Cougars, and second, as an assistant coach, he left BYU to join the staff at rival Utah. Both decisions were tough blows for the Cougars,

Burgess, 44, returns to BYU after two years on Craig Smith's staff at Utah after spending time on former BYU coach Mark Pope's staff at both BYU and Utah Valley.

New BYU men’s basketball coach Kevin Young took another big swing for his coaching staff and connected. Chris Burgess, currently an assistant coach at his alma mater the University of Utah, will join the Cougars staff.

“Chris and I quickly connected,” BYU head coach Kevin Young said in a statement. “I was impressed with how he sees all the aspects of college basketball. He has a bright mind for the game and is very forward thinking. He will be a great asset to our players and our program. I’m excited about bringing Chris and his family back to BYU.

Chris Burgess was thought to be a head coaching candidate at BYU before Kevin Young got the job. But Burgess is coming back to Provo anyway, after being hired as an assistant coach. “Chris and I quickly connected,