Inductees

He was a junior guard who keyed Marionville High School’s 1982 state basketball title, later hit the buzzer-beater as Drury University sent a future NBA star home from the NAIA Tournament and – after ditching a road construction job – coached his high school alma mater to five Final Fours.

What a basketball life it’s been for Ted Young. In fact, his success is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Young with the Class of 2020.

Clearly, Young is one of the more unique honorees, considering he:

• Scored a (still) school-record 2,000 points in high school without the benefit of a 3-point line, and twice earned Class 2 All-State honors, plus was All-State in football.
• Scored 1,780 points at Drury – that’s still ninth-most in program history – and also was a two-time NAIA All-American.
• Earned a 458-214 coaching record, including a Class 2 boys state championship in 2005 and four other Final Four berths – Marionville boys (third in 2002, state runner-up in both 2004 and 2006) and Marionville girls (third in 2012).

Call it an incredible story for a man who, during a five-year stretch in the mid-1990s, wore a hard hat while on a road crew. In other words, his collar is as blue as the Marionville Comets school color, and he knew how to work hard and get players to work, too.

“I didn’t want to work construction for the rest of my life,” Young said. “Coaching is what I wanted. I missed the athletes, and I related well to their passion for winning. It was in my blood.”

Young had played sports against older cousins, who toughened him up. The Boys Club in Springfield also was an important place. There, he played with good friend Preston Estes (MSHOF Elite 11, 2018) and other childhood friends.

Eventually, then-Marionville basketball coach Tony Armstrong (MSHOF 2018) allowed Young to dress for varsity games as a freshman and started him as a sophomore.

“He kept me hungry,” said Young, noting Armstrong never played him in a junior varsity game. “I think his plan helped me out. I learned a lot by sitting on the varsity bench. I could be a role player and learned how to handle the ball, play defense and play with older people.”

He still remembers the Comets’ postseason run to the state title. In the championship game, Young scored 33 points despite having a badly injured ankle in the semifinals.

“Every step when we got a little further, (the community) got a little crazier and crazier,” Young said. “The support was unbelievable.”

Scholarship offers soon followed, and Drury won out.

He still ranks second in assists (774) and steals (251) at Drury, where Young also earned NAIA All-American honors in 1986 and 1987, the 1987 District 16 MVP and was a three-time All-District selection.

Drury was 99-35 in his four seasons, reaching the NAIA Tournament quarterfinals twice.

Fans still remember his two tournament buzzer-beaters. In 1985, in the second round, Young took Rod Gorman’s kick-out pass and, from the top of the key, sank the shot and No. 2-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point with future NBA star Terry Porter, 58-56. In 1986, he lifted Drury to a 53-52 first-round win against Westmont (Calif.).

“While Armstrong taught me the game of basketball, Coach (Marvin) Walker taught me the intensity and mental toughness that you needed to play the college game,” Young said.

From there, Young spent two seasons as a graduate assistant, one year at Thayer, three at Marionville and then five in road construction before coaching Marionville from 1998 to 2018.

Along the way, his teams played for a district championship 12 out of 13 years, winning 10.

The 2002 Comets (27-4) placed third thanks to nephew Brett Young’s tip-in at the buzzer.

The 2004 Comets (26-5) upset undefeated Lone Jack in the quarterfinals. The defense-first 2005 team (27-3) beat St. Vincent 35-30 to win it all. The 2006 team (27-4) was four points away from a repeat title.

Young coached Marionville’s girls from 2012-2016 (85-32 record), with the 2012 team finishing 22-11.

Overall, Young thanks many for his success: wife Cyndi and daughter Josie (she scored more than 2,000 points at Marionville), along with coaches Armstrong, Walker, Dan Evans, Dale Morley, Gary Stanfield (MSHOF 2015), and great assistants who included Phillip Courter (part of the Marionville boys’ Final Four runs), plus every teammate and player.

“I was very fortunate,” Young said. “I was blessed to have a lot of great people around me. I still am.”