TTU Sports Hall of Fame member Bobby Young passes away at 83

Bobby Young

A 2017 inductee into the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame, former Golden Eagle men's basketball star Bobby Young passed away June 27 in Adolphus, Ky. at the age of 83.

Young was a three-year letterwinner on the Tennessee Tech basketball team from 1961-1964. With freshmen still unable to play varsity basketball at the time of his career, Young still managed to make a huge impact on the Golden Eagle squad his next three years and was referred to as 'one of the greatest I've ever coached' by TTU Sports Hall of Fame coach Johnny Oldham.

Young helped lead his team to the 1962-63 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship and bid into the NCAA Tournament, compiling a 16-8 overall record and 8-4 OVC mark. He represented Tech's fourth-leading scorer (12.3) and second-leading rebounder (10.3) in what represented his junior season.

His 41 points against Morehead State on Feb. 15, 1964, ranks him tied for sixth place in the TTU record books for most points in a single game and represented the second most ever at that time. Young also boasted performances of 37 points versus Western Kentucky on Feb. 7, 1964 and 36 points against Tampa on Feb. 10, 1964, both of which rank in the top 20 single-game showings in program history.

Young's senior season of 1963-64 was one for the record books. Elected team captain, Young took home a place on the All-OVC Team after leading the Golden Eagles with 22.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. His scoring average, which marked the third-highest in program history at the conclusion of his career, still sits as the sixth-best mark by a Golden Eagle.

As a sophomore, Young assisted the 1961-62 team in setting the program record for the highest rebound average in a season (57.6). He followed that up by helping the team tally the third-highest mark (54.6) in the 1962-63 season.

Following his three-year career in the purple and gold, Young landed himself third in the record books for rebounding, totaling 584 boards and averaging 9.6 rebounds over his 66-game career. That total still ranks 19th all-time today.

A star at Allen County High School, Young was inducted into the now ACS-HS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. He worked for 25 years in road asphalt paving and was the co-owner of Microsurface Paving Company.  He was a member of the Scottsville Baptist Church, Gideon's International and Scottsville Rotary Club and served as Allen County Judge Executive from 2007-2010.