BYU head men’s basketball coach Mark Pope announced Friday the addition of Collin Terry to the Cougars coach staff as the program’s fourth assistant coach.

“I would like to thank Coach Mark Pope, Tom Holmoe, Brian Santiago and the BYU Administration for this incredible opportunity,” Terry said. “BYU has had a tremendous impact on me and my family. Both my father and uncle played quarterback for LaVell Edwards so my ties to Cougar athletics run deep. With BYU’s historic move into the premier college basketball conference, I look forward to assisting Coach Pope, his staff and players carry on BYU’s great basketball tradition.”

Terry joins the Cougars after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Greensboro Swarm, the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets. During his time with the Swarm, he was instrumental in helping Cameron McGriff, Xavier Sneed and Kobi Simmons earn NBA call-ups. He also helped Bryce McGowens earn a multi-year NBA contract after starting the season on a 2-way contract.

He previously worked in the G League as an assistant coach for the Maine Celtics in 2018-19 and an advanced scout for the Northern Arizona Suns from 2017-18. Terry was an assistant coach at Salt Lake Community College under current Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips, helping the Bruins go 30-4 in 2017-18 en route to winning the Scenic West Athletic Conference regular season title, Region 18 Championship and No. 4 seed in the national tournament.

He served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology from Utah Valley while obtaining a master’s in financial services from The American College.

Men’s basketball set to travel to Italy, Croatia

The BYU men’s basketball team left on Friday for a summer tour of Italy and Croatia, a 10-day trip that will provide opportunities for playing together and experiencing European culture.

“I’m super eager for us to bond on this trip. Our season is going to be defined by how close we are,” BYU head coach Mark Pope said. “The capital we put in the bank in terms of us being together, is super important. We know what we’re up against this season. We know what we’re going to face. We can’t wait to get into this season and everything it brings. The guys are growing together right now, and they’ll make more huge strides on this trip. That’s going to be our special sauce. What we become this season will be determined by how close we become as a group.”

The Cougars will spend the opening two days of the trip in Milan touring the Duomo di Milano, hosting a fireside and playing its first of four games against Orange 1 Basket Bassano.

They will spend one day exploring Venice before traveling to Trieste on August 22 to face Pallacanestro Trieste. The following day sees the Cougars travel to Zadar, Croatia, home of Krešimir Ćosić. The former Cougar legend and All-American ranks second on BYU’s all-time rebounding list with 919 boards, while recording a team-record 47 double-doubles.

“We’re going to Krešimir Ćosić’s, Zadar, Croatia,” Pope said. “We’re playing KK Zadar in Kresimir Cosic Arena. We’re going to work the Kresimir Cosic Basketball Camp. We’re having a meal with his extended family and taking some gift and memorabilia for them. It’s going to be super special.”

Upon graduation, Ćosić became very much involved with basketball throughout Europe. He had offers to play in the NBA from the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, but he chose to return home and play for the Yugoslavian National Team for $250 a week. Ćosić played on four Olympic teams with his native land, winning a gold medal in 1980 and two silver medals in 1968 and 1976. He ended his career as his country’s all-time scoring leader and went on to coach the Yugoslavian national team for many years.

His national and international accomplishments led to his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, on May 6, 1996, making Ćosić the first BYU player and second Cougar, along with former coach Stan Watts, to receive the prestigious honor. He is also a member of the Utah Basketball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2001.

“Krešimir Ćosić, in so many ways, is the perfect example for our guys,” Pope said. “We’re trying to be a great team. We want to be the best team in the country, and I want that to be the third, fourth, fifth or sixth-most important thing these guys accomplish in their lives. Think about what Kresimir did here as a basketball player and then as an ambassador to the whole world. In an area of the world that was getting torn to pieces, he was one of the voices standing up, trying to bring sense to what was senseless. I’m excited for our guys to learn more about Kresimir on this trip and understand how they can have that impact on the world too. That’s why we’re here. We’re here to win, win huge and even more importantly grow into incredible young men who will change the world. I have a bunch of guys on this roster who are far along in the process of changing the world.”

While in Zadar, the team will participate in a basketball clinic at Krešimir Ćosić Hall, visit where Cosic grew up and play against four-time Croatian League champions KK Zadar. They will continue the tour with two days in Split including their fourth and final game of the trip before spending the final two days in in Dubrovnik before returning to Utah late on Aug. 27.

Five Cougars named to Polynesian Football Hall of Fame Watch List

HONOLULU — The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame today announced the 2023 Watch List for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award. The list includes five members of the BYU football team– Chaz Ah You, Atunaisa Mahe, Paul Maile, Isaac Rex and Kingsley Suamataia.

The Award is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player of Polynesian ancestry that epitomizes great ability and integrity. The 2023 watch list is composed of 85 players from 40 different FBS schools.

Ah You, Mahe and Rex were selected to the watch list for a second consecutive season. Suamataia was previously named to the 2023 watch list for the Outland Trophy, while Rex was selected to the watch list for the John Mackey Award for a third-consecutive year.

A native of San Clemente, California, Rex was also recently named to the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team. The 6-6, 255-pound junior tight end has played in 40 games for the Cougars over the past four seasons and is currently tied for No. 2 all-time with former Consensus All-American Dennis Pitta at BYU in career touchdown receptions by a tight end with 21. Rex was named Phil Steele All-Independent First Team in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and was also selected to the College Football Network All-Independent Second Team in 2022.

Suamataia, a 6-6, 325-pound sophomore from Orem, Utah, was previously named to the 2023 College Football News Preseason All-America Second Team, the Athlon Sports 2023 All-Big 12 Third Team, the Phil Steele Preseason All-Big 12 Fourth Team and the Big 12 Conference Preseason All-Big 12 Team by media representatives who cover the league. He started 12 games for BYU in 2022 and was named Freshman All-American Second Team by The Athletic. He was also named College Football Network All-Independent First Team, Phil Steele All-Independent Second Team and Midseason Freshman All-American Second Team by College Football News.

Ah You is a 6-2, 220-pound senior linebacker from Saratoga Springs, Utah. He played in eight games for BYU in 2021 before suffering an injury that cut short his season. Ah You had a key interception in the Cougars 26-17 win over No. 18 ranked Utah and had five games with six or more tackles. He redshirted the 2022 season.

Mahe, a 6-1, 310-pound defensive lineman, has played in 33 games over three years for the Cougars. The senior from West Jordan, Utah, has recorded 61 tackles, including 9 1/2 for loss, with three sacks and four quarterback hurries over three seasons (2019, 2021-22) at BYU.

Maile, a 6-2, 300-pound offensive lineman, started 12 games at center for Utah in 2022 before transferring to BYU for his senior season. Maile, from Salt Lake City, played in 29 games for the Utes (2018-22), starting 17 games on the offensive line at center and guard. He was named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll in 2020 and 2021.

The candidates for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award were selected based on past performance and future potential. Additions to the list may be made as the 2023 season progresses.

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