2026 Hall of Fame Class: Alex Young
Leah Fitzpatrick
1/23/2026
Alex Young joins the UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame for the class of 2026 as the 12th member of the men’s basketball program.
A four-year player and three-year captain, Young was a big part of the 2015 squad that made the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance. He holds the program record for wins and career assists, while he is also the only player in program history to record 1,000 career points, 500 assists, and 500 rebounds.
Young joined the Anteaters' coaching staff in the 2018-19 season, spending six years with the program, including four as an assistant coach. Young was an assistant in 2022-23 and 2023-24 when UC Irvine won back-to-back Big West regular season titles and made consecutive NIT appearances. In his first year on staff as the team's video coordinator, Young helped lead UCI to a record-breaking 2018-19 season as the Anteaters made their second NCAA appearance and won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game, defeating fourth-seeded Kansas State, 70-64, in the first round. The 'Eaters also broke school records in overall wins (31), longest winning streak (17 games), and tied a program best 15-1 mark in Big West play.
The Anteaters spotlight Alex and his journey to continue our look at the 2026 Hall of Fame Anteater class.
What made you choose UCI?
I made the decision to commit before even seeing the campus, I was very confident. I had one scholarship offer out of high school after being under recruited, but having a program like UC Irvine believe in me pretty early on just made the decision easier because of the connection that I built with the coaching staff, specifically Ryan Badrtalei and coach Russ Turner.
What was the biggest adjustment for you, transitioning from being a player to a coach?
I had to find the right balance of being a friend and a mentor since I wasn’t a teammate of the players anymore, and finding that balance of the two was important and difficult at the beginning because of how young I was when I started coaching at 24. I was only a year or two removed from the program as a player so I had the opportunity to coach guys that I played with. Going from a player to a coach and still being in the same age range as guys that I was coaching was a challenge, but one that I adjusted to quickly because I worked with great student-athletes who understood that, and respected who I was as a person, who I was as a player, but more importantly who I was as their coach.
How did your playing experience help you connect with the athletes you coached?
Being a leader, and a captain of the team for three years, allowed me to gain the experience of being able to connect with all my teammates. And so transitioning into a coaching role you have to be able to connect with your players if you want to get the best out of them. I had to figure out different ways of communication with different people first as a player, and then as a coach. It was about finding the right balance with different guys. My experience as a captain was something that helped me do that when transitioning into a coaching role.
What were some of your most memorable moments at UCI?
Being a part of both the NCAA tournament appearances first as a player, then as a coach is very special and something that I’ll always remember. But one moment I think of a lot is my very first game as a freshman, just realizing that I had made it and reached one of my goals and accomplished a dream of mine of playing Division I basketball.
What has made this era of UCI basketball so special, and what does it mean to you to see the program consistently competing on a national stage?
It's the players that make that program special. There’s also been a lot of continuity in the coaching staff. We have a great head coach in Russ Turner and have had great assistants that helped build the program. But we have some special young men that come in and believe in the team, and commit to being a part of something special and something bigger than themselves. It was an honor of mine to be a part of building that foundation that has helped guide this program to reach new heights. I’ve been fortunate to be part of a lot of good history at UC Irvine. So sitting back as a fan, as an alumni, I’m truly proud that I left my mark and that my teammates and the players that I coached all left their marks on that program and have allowed it to continue to go in the direction that it’s going now.
What are some of the most important things that you learned at UCI, both on and off the court?
Off the court it was really just developing relationships. There’s relationships that I’ve built off the court that I have to this day with very meaningful people. Whether it’s professors or students outside of the athletics community, there’s a lot of great things that UC Irvine has to offer. On the court, it was figuring out ways to be competitive and to work for everything that I was trying to achieve. Being from where I come from, as a recruit that nobody really knew or wanted, but then having a program like that believe in me, taught me to have a chip on my shoulder. It made me go to work every day to prove that I belonged. Having a competitive edge and accountability are all important things that I learned being a part of that program.
Is there a specific person at UC Irvine who played the biggest role in shaping you as a person and as a player?
I have to give a lot of credit to Ryan Badrtalei. He was the first to believe in me, he was the one that saw something in me that I didn’t even see myself. He was a big part of my development, and I still have a great relationship with him and his family. He’s a dear friend of mine and a guy that I will always call coach. But my parents are the ones that got me here. They’re the ones that instilled the foundation to help me get that far, but when I got to UCI, Ryan was the guy that I could always count on and lean on for advice.
Do you have any advice for current UCI players or aspiring athletes who hope to have a legacy like yours?
With the way that college sports are changing, my advice would be to really just find loyalty in it. If you’re doing it for other reasons outside of the love of the game, then I think you’re in it for the wrong reasons. Enjoy the time that you’re there and connect with people, build relationships and give it your all. That program believed in you, they've committed to you in your development as a human being first and a player second and you’re part of a special place. So to the guys that are in the program now, take pride in it. Leave your own mark and make your own legacy. And to those that want to be part of it, you should. It's one of the best programs that’s been built on the West Coast. It’s a special place to be and you have to be a special person to want to be a part of it.
How did it feel when you found out you would be inducted into the Hall of Fame and what does it mean to you?
I was really shocked. I was really emotional when they told me, but I was able to hold back tears. It just shows that all the hard work, the time and the effort that I put into that program and into that game, it paid off. I didn’t think that 14 years ago when I got to Irvine that this was even a possibility, but now looking back at my career, the things that I did, the records that I hold, I’m proud to say that I think I did what I was supposed to do. I was there to help build a winning program and culture. I helped take the team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. There are a lot of things that I’m very proud of, but a lot of credit needs to go to my teammates and to my coaches. It wasn’t just me. I’m very excited, honored, and humbled to be inducted into the UCI Athletics Hall of Fame.
How would you describe your experience at UC Irvine?
It was the best four years of my life. My experience was wonderful and it was everything I could’ve dreamed of as a kid coming from Phoenix, Oregon to Orange County. I met the love of my life there, my wife, and we now have two kids and so UCI gave me my family. I was winning in life when I was in Irvine. I’m so grateful for that university and for all the people there, I’ll forever be in debt to it for everything it’s given me in my life. I’m truly grateful that I got the opportunity to attend a great university with great people, and basketball was just a bonus. It was the icing on the cake. I’m so happy that I got to have each of my teammates by my side through all the experiences and everything we accomplished. I’m grateful for my coaches, our families, and our fans, ‘Eater Nation. I'm truly grateful for everybody that’s been a part of the journey and a part of a legacy that will hopefully live forever. I’m really grateful for the Hall of Fame committee, everybody that voted me in. It’s an incredible honor. I get emotional just thinking about it. There’s a lot of people that saw me come into UCI as a young kid and watch me leave as a 30-year-old man. I’m truly grateful and honored for the opportunity that I had to be an Anteater.
