Army West Point Athletics
Young to Return as Honorary Head Coach
March 17, 2016 | Football
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Head coach Jeff Monken and the Army West Point football program is proud to announce that Army Hall of Famer Jim Young will return as an honorary head coach for the spring game on April 30.
This is the first time Monken has welcomed back a former coach after inviting many former players to take part in the spring game as honorary captains. Last season, Monken invited Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins, all-time leading tackler Mike McElrath, single-season rushing leader Collin Mooney, fullback and current assistant coach Mike Viti and Aaron Alexander who tops the single-season receiving charts.
"It's important to me and the program that we continue to have a relationship with players and coaches from the past," said Monken. "There is a sense of pride knowing that this team is playing for more than just this year's team. They are representing players and coaches from the past. It's important that players, coaches and staff from previous years have ownership in the program and to know we are all in it together."
Jim Young is credited with restoring Army's football program to glory, taking the Black Knights to their first three bowl games in program history. He was inducted into the Army Sport Hall of Fame in 2012.
Riding the strength of a powerful wishbone offense at West Point, Young served as Army's football head coach from 1983-90 and compiled a 51-39-1 record while helping the Black Knights return to national prominence. He led the Black Knights to three postseason bowl games, including victories over Michigan State in the Cherry Bowl and Illinois in the Peach Bowl.
Honored as the National Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association in 1984, Young posted a 5-3 record opposite Navy and coached Army's last two first-team All-Americans, Don Smith in 1985 and Mike Mayweather in 1990.
Young came to Army after serving head coaching terms at Purdue University and the University of Arizona and quickly established his offensive prowess. In his second season, Army led the nation in rushing and beat both Navy and Air Force to claim its third outright Commander in Chief's Trophy.
In Young's third season, Army posted nine wins after beating Illinois in the Peach Bowl, its highest win total since 1949, while his fourth season included Army's fourth Commander in Chief's Trophy.
Young helped guide Army to its fifth Commander in Chief's Trophy in 1988, a season in which the team again won nine games after dropping a close game to Alabama in the John Hancock Sun Bowl.
In his final year at the Army helm, Young helped Mayweather establish the school record with 1,338 rushing yards, before announcing his retirement.
The annual spring game is set for April 30 and a full schedule of events surrounding the game will be released shortly.
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This is the first time Monken has welcomed back a former coach after inviting many former players to take part in the spring game as honorary captains. Last season, Monken invited Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins, all-time leading tackler Mike McElrath, single-season rushing leader Collin Mooney, fullback and current assistant coach Mike Viti and Aaron Alexander who tops the single-season receiving charts.
"It's important to me and the program that we continue to have a relationship with players and coaches from the past," said Monken. "There is a sense of pride knowing that this team is playing for more than just this year's team. They are representing players and coaches from the past. It's important that players, coaches and staff from previous years have ownership in the program and to know we are all in it together."
Jim Young is credited with restoring Army's football program to glory, taking the Black Knights to their first three bowl games in program history. He was inducted into the Army Sport Hall of Fame in 2012.
Riding the strength of a powerful wishbone offense at West Point, Young served as Army's football head coach from 1983-90 and compiled a 51-39-1 record while helping the Black Knights return to national prominence. He led the Black Knights to three postseason bowl games, including victories over Michigan State in the Cherry Bowl and Illinois in the Peach Bowl.
Honored as the National Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association in 1984, Young posted a 5-3 record opposite Navy and coached Army's last two first-team All-Americans, Don Smith in 1985 and Mike Mayweather in 1990.
Young came to Army after serving head coaching terms at Purdue University and the University of Arizona and quickly established his offensive prowess. In his second season, Army led the nation in rushing and beat both Navy and Air Force to claim its third outright Commander in Chief's Trophy.
In Young's third season, Army posted nine wins after beating Illinois in the Peach Bowl, its highest win total since 1949, while his fourth season included Army's fourth Commander in Chief's Trophy.
Young helped guide Army to its fifth Commander in Chief's Trophy in 1988, a season in which the team again won nine games after dropping a close game to Alabama in the John Hancock Sun Bowl.
In his final year at the Army helm, Young helped Mayweather establish the school record with 1,338 rushing yards, before announcing his retirement.
The annual spring game is set for April 30 and a full schedule of events surrounding the game will be released shortly.
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