New GCSC Coaches Are Hopeful for First Seasons as Head Coaches

Tyler Younger and Rory Kuhn are both tackling the obstacle of being head coaches for the first time. While both men have impressive resumes, they each have different challenges to tackle for their teams. Younger will try to lead the men’s baseball team to a national championship while Kuhn hopes to get the women’s basketball team back on track with the legacy that came before them.

Tyler Younger

Coach Younger is a native of Chatham, Virginia and is now married with an 11-month old daughter. While he is currently taking on the baseball head coaching position, this is not his first time being a part of the GC staff. From 2016-2018 Younger assisted Coach Mike Kandler with the baseball team. After leaving GCSC, Younger took a job as Coordinator of Player Development at Mississippi State University. 

Younger says that he and his family enjoyed their time in Panama City when they were here last and decided he would apply if the coaching position ever opened up. Younger says when he saw the position in May, it just felt right. 

Younger feels that his main goals are to develop his players so that they can move on to the next level. But as for his team he sees winning conference, regionals, and state within their grasp. 

Rory Kuhn

Coach Kuhn is from the great state of New York. He attended and played basketball at junior college, SUNY Cortland. He continued to SUNY where he majored in English education and received his masters in special education. 

Kuhn comes to us with 20 years of coaching experience but felt it was his time to take on a major head coaching position. He coached ten years for high school basketball and eight years assisting at the college level. He even assisted the North West Florida men’s basketball team to a National Championship. He felt more than qualified for the job here at GC because of his familiarity with the conference and previous experience.

Kuhn did feel a bit of a challenge when he was first hired only a few weeks before school started. He started with only two returning players, but quickly extended the roster to 11 before school started. With such a late start, he feels his main focus right now is building the team up and getting them in shape for the season. 

Coach Kuhn is focused on getting his girls in shape for the season and preparing them with plays and his coaching style. Even though he feels this is his focus right now, he does not feel like a conference or state championship is out of reach. Like most coaches his ultimate goal is to win a national championship and believes training and preparing as if it is going to happen will get the most out of his players.

Coach Younger and Coach Kuhn agreed they are both happy to be here because of the family-like atmosphere. Both felt like they could build good relationships with the other coaches and be guided by all the coach’s and their experiences.

They also agreed that they love living near the beach. Coach Kuhn said he loves to relax by going to the beach and watching the amazing sunsets, while Coach Younger enjoys all the good eats Panama City/ Panama City Beach has to offer.

Athletic Director Coach Kandler’s Thoughts on New Coaches

The athletic director Mike Kandler also had a few things to say about each coach. Kandler said Coach Younger convinced the entire board how much he wanted to be here. He referred to Younger as the “total package” when it came to being a bright young guy with tons of recruiting connections. Kandler referred to Kuhn’s history of “winning and success” as a great attribute for the women’s team. Kandler also said that Kuhn’s “even temperament” and “relates to his players with a message of positivity” will lead us to see big things.   

Fun Facts About the Coaches