BOONE, N.C. – App State assistant men's basketball coaches Frank Young and Tanner Smith have been selected to participate in the prestigious 2023 TopConnect Basketball Symposium that is set to take place next week.
TopConnect identifies the top assistant basketball coaches in the country and connects them with mid-major athletics directors to provide tremendous networking and leadership development opportunities for both parties.
"I am super excited for Frank and Tanner to be recognized as two of the top young coaches in the profession," head coach Dustin Kerns said. "Their experience at TopConnect will be invaluable towards progressing towards being head coaches and we are super excited for this opportunity to develop and network."
Last year's symposium consisted of several panel discussions and breakout sessions, including Expectations of a Head Coach; Preparing for the Interview; First 365 Days Managing the Season and Developing Real Expectations; What ADs are looking for; Scheduling; NIL; Discipline and Motivation; Mental Health; Core Values; Building Support; The Future of College Basketball.
Since the inception of TopConnect in 2018, dozens of assistant coach and assistant athletic director participants have been promoted to the next chair of head coach and athletic director as well as a conference commissioner.
This will be Smith's second consecutive appearance at a TopConnect event. He was recently hired to Kerns' staff after a two-year stint at Stephen F. Austin, where he also served as an assistant. Young, who has been an assistant alongside Kerns for the last six seasons, will be participating in the event for the first time.
