Gator Comes Home to a Different Role Within the SEC

by Pat Dooley (BSJ ’76)

It’s a long line. Good thing Patric Young is tall enough to see over the top of it.

The former Gator great basketball player is the latest entrant into the world of television and radio. The list of former Gators – from Cris Collinsworth to Chris Doering – stretches from sidelines to the temporary towers on golf courses to TV reality shows.

Young made his debut on the SEC Network on the first night of basketball season after signing a two-year contract. He also will contribute weekly to the SEC station on Sirius/XM.

“I feel prepared,” Young said of the new venture. “I’m a professional talker when it comes to talking about sports.”

The path to Charlotte, home of the SEC Network, is not a surprising one. But it is interesting.

It’s not surprising because of the way Young carries all 6-foot-9 of himself, with that deep voice that brings strong opinions to the corners of the SEC footprint. He obviously has credentials as one of the most important players on Florida’s 2014 Final Four team, which won 33 straight games during the season and postseason.

Young is pictured here with Gator Radio Network analyst and former Gators basketball player Bill Koss (BSBA ’65) at left and former Gators swimmer Bernie Guenther (BSTel ’04).

You figured he’d be next in line as Gators continue to have a thick presence on the airwaves.

Young actually came to Florida not knowing what he wanted to do academically. He was considering medicine, but bailed after a year. His sister was a telecom major at Florida State so he decided to try that.

“Then, I ran into a wonderful professor, Ted Spiker,” Young said. “He showed me what was possible. I credit him for me having so much interest in the media world.”

After Florida, all of that was put on hold while Young kept playing basketball. He played for seven years in Israel, Turkey, Greece and Italy.

While overseas, he was contacted about doing a podcast, and “The Young and the Rowdies” was created.

His first guest was Billy Donovan, then Mike White and then Jeremy Foley. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey caught the Foley podcast and called the AD emeritus to get Young’s phone number.

“He was prepared as the interviewer and had a comfortable, flowing conversation on meaningful topics,” Sankey told me. “I was aware of him from seeing him compete at Florida, but the podcast put the idea in my head that Patric could be a good addition to the SEC Network.”

Sankey doesn’t do the hiring at the Network, but soon Young had an audition lined up.

“We pay attention, particularly to those who have been a part of the SEC, with the idea that we can introduce them to our SEC Network contacts,” Sankey said. “They are the ones who make the talent decisions.”

Young leaned on former Gator Chris Doering for advice, as well as Gene Chizik, the former Auburn coach who also played at Florida. Both are employed by the SEC Network.

“They really helped me with the audition, Young said. “I was worried a little about the time commitment but Chris said it wasn’t a problem for him with his business. They told me to be myself and not to say ‘we’ when I’m talking about the Gators.”

Young is part-owner of two Escape Room franchises in Gainesville and Jacksonville and is also working with Tim Tebow’s NIL company, Campus Legends.

“The great thing is I get summers off,” he said.

Right now, he’s just trying to feel his way through this new experience, working both in the studio and doing analysis at games. (His first one was Kentucky and UNF in Rupp the day after Thanksgiving.)

“I’m going to approach it the same way I used to approach a game,” he said. “It’s a new passion and my dream is to make it big time doing this.”

Don’t bet against it.