SMITHFIELD, VA (WTKR)- Coaching is in Ed Young's blood, so being away from the profession last basketball season was quite an adjustment. It was the first time in nearly four decades he wasn't on the bench.
"There were days I was in my house last year looking at four walls," the coach recalled. "Talking to the dog and he never answered back, like' what am I doing? I need to coach a team.'"
Young got his wish. He's the new head boys basketball coach at Smithfield and will lead the Packers during the 2025-2026 season. It's a new challenge he's happy to have on his plate.
"A chance to get back out and teach and work with kids. That's what I miss. My sense of purpose was gone," Young said. "Coaching is in my blood and I'm excited. I feel like a rookie head coach like I was when I first came to Suffolk High School years ago. I have that same feeling right now for Smithfield."
Young was the longtime head coach at Nansmond River, where he capture career victory number 500 in February of 2023. He spent last season broadcasting high school games and watching countless hoops contests as he searched for another job and his hope of returning to his beloved profession finally came to fruition with the Packers.
"I'm not ready to step away," he said. "I think I still have a lot to offer the kids, more so than just on the court stuff. I'm real big on all that other stuff, students, because that's what they're going to take with them longer than the actual play."
Young takes over a Smithfield program that was 20-4 last season and earned the top seed in Region 4A before falling to Churchland in the region semifinals. This season's Packers will have a different look as they graduated 10 seniors from last year's squad.
"To the fans out there, be calm, especially this first year," Young said. "Don't judge us on wins and losses. Judge us on product on floor, because that's our responsibility. We will be in shape, we'll be the best-conditioned team on our schedule and we're going to try to outsmart some teams and if they're better than us, they're just better than us."
