Skip Young was a high school star in the basketball-rich state of Ohio who, despite being heavily recruited by nearby Ohio State, decided to become a part of the program Hugh Durham was building at
Florida State. Durham had brought the first African-American player, Lenny Hall, to FSU only one year before. Due to Hall's early-season injury, Young faced the challenges of being effectively the
first starting varsity African-American athlete at FSU and one of the first in the Deep South at a predominantly white university.
Young led the Seminoles to an 18-8 record in his first season as starting point guard for the varsity team in 1968-69. He helped lead Florida State to its most successful season in school history as a
junior playing with future FSU and NBA Hall-of-Famer Dave Cowens on the Seminoles' 1969-70 team that finished 23-3. During his three-year career, the Seminoles had an overall record of 58-20 and he
became the school's all-time assist leader.
Drafted in the seventh round of the 1970 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, Young played one year with the Celtics before he returned to earn his degree in criminology and social work from FSU. He is
currently the head coach at FAMU High and led the Lady Rattlers to their first state championship in 2004.
Young's ability to achieve success on the basketball court and in the classroom during a period of significant and often difficult social change was remarkable. It gained him the admiration of
teammates, opponents, and the University community.
