Mike Balado and Kimani Young will be the first to join Richard Pitino's staff, the University of Minnesota officially announced on Wednesday.
Both are in Minnesota currently, and are expected to start immediately, as Wednesday was Pitino's first official day on the job. Balado and Young were both assistants at FIU under Pitino prior to joining the Gophers.
"I am excited about the additions of coach Balado and coach Young to our staff at Minnesota," Pitino said in a news release. "Both of these guys played a huge part in our turnaround at Florida International. They are well-respected within the coaching community as terrific recruiters and leaders of student athletes."
Young was convicted in 1999 of felony possession of marijuana, which was confirmed through a court document search and was written about here. In that story, from 2005, it says Young was arrested for possession of 96 pounds of marijuana.
"I spent one year in the federal prison in Allenwood, Pa.," Jones was quoted as saying in that story. "It was a humbling experience.
Gophers AD Norwood Teague was up-front about Young's past in a statement separate from the news release:
"Kimani Young is an outstanding addition to the University of Minnesota and its men's basketball program. President Eric Kaler and I each spoke at length with College Presidents and Athletic Directors at schools employing Coach Young and received assurances that Kimani was a positive influence and leader for their programs and student-athletes. Coach Young's mistake, more than 14 years ago, was an aberration in an otherwise positive and stable life. He has been an upstanding leader in every university community he has worked and lived since that time."
In an earlier appearance on "The Tim Brando Show" on SiriusXM's College Sports Nation on Wednesday, Pitino noted the importance of selecting a good staff.
