West Lincoln head coach Lane Young grew up at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

As the son of Co-Lin athletic director and women’s head basketball coach Gwyn Young, Young has been a part of the Co-Lin community since he was 5 years old.

“Co-Lin has always been home to me,” Young said. “I know pretty much everybody on the campus.”

The Lincoln County School Board announced the resignation of Young Monday night as the head boys’ and girls’ basketball coach at West Lincoln effective June 30. Young will take the role of assistant athletic director for Eligibility and Compliance at Co-Lin starting July 1.

The chance to go home to Co-Lin and work for the college was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up, he said.

“There’s only two places I wanted to be at in my career. One was West Lincoln and the other was Co-Lin,” Young said. “It’ll be something I’ll really enjoy.”

Co-Lin and West Lincoln have both been home for the Young family. The family bought a house on the college’s campus when Young was 5 years old and fixed it up themselves. He lived there for most of his childhood.

Young continued the family tradition and went to high school at West Lincoln where he parents and grandfather went to school. Young went on to play baseball at Co-Lin and his love for the community took off from there.

Young will be working in the Co-Lin community when arriving on campus in an administrative role, something the former West Lincoln coach always planned on.

The move ends an incredible run for Young at West Lincoln, where he was the head coach of both basketball teams for 15 seasons.

Young had high praise for West Lincoln and the school board and the memories he made at West Lincoln will never fade away.

“It’s a great place to teach and a great place to coach,” Young said. “West Lincoln is a great school. It’s hard to leave there, but I wouldn’t have left the community if it wasn’t for any other job than Co-Lin.”

Out of all the successful years coaching at West Lincoln, there aren’t many regrets Young has during his tenure. Only one sticks out in his mind.

“My biggest regret was not winning a state title in boys’ or girls’ basketball,” Young said. “Seeing the kids improve and the joy the kids get out of playing basketball was incredible. Seeing those kids being involved with West Lincoln and seeing them grow up is something I’ll always remember the most.”

Young pushed his players both on the court and in the classroom at West Lincoln. He made a point to be better people in the classroom and put academics before athletics. That model got Young to where he is now as a person and as a coach.

Young’s assistant coach at West Lincoln, Brooks Smith, will be taking over at West Lincoln. Brooks will be coaching junior varsity and varsity basketball for both the boys and girls at the school.

Smith played for Young when he was a student at West Lincoln and now replaces the man he was once coached by.

Smith has big shoes to fill with replacing Young, but Young is confident in his former assistant.

“I was very fortunate to have him as an assistant coach at West Lincoln,” Young said. “He’s a West Lincoln guy and loves the school like I do. He’s going to do a great job and he does things the right way. I look forward to watching him.”