Gerald Young
Professor of Phys Ed, Athletics & Recreation, Emeritus
Email: gyoung@carleton.edu
Gerald Young announced his retirement as Atheltic Director effective July 1, 2024, after 14 years overseeing the Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR) Department and 32 years of service overall at the College.
Young came to Carleton in 1992 and served as an assistant football coach at Carleton for 17 seasons and as an assistant softball coach for 10 seasons. He also worked with the men's and women's track & field programs. He was promoted to Associate Athletic Director in 2001 and took over as Carleton's Athletic Director when Leon Lunder retired in 2010.
Only three months after being named athletic director, Young was forced to guide the PEAR Department's recovery following the Cannon River flood of Sept. 2010, an event that took two of the College's main athletic facilities–Laird Stadium and West Gym–offline for an extended period of time.
In addition to his role within the athletic department, Young served on Carleton's Title IX Lead Team and has been a mentor within the College's Posse Program. Young was closely involved with the NCAA. He was appointed to a four-year term on the NCAA Division III Management Council, serving in the role from 2014-2018. That 19-member Council represents all 430 Division III institutions and is comprised of chief executive officers, faculty athletic representatives, athletic directors, senior women administrators, conference leaders, and student-athletes. The Council oversees the implementation of NCAA policies, reviews and resolves issues, and makes recommendations to the NCAA Presidents' Council.
Young completed the 2001-02 NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males, acted as chair of the NCAA Division III committee on infractions from 2006-08, and took part in the 2007-08 NCAA Pathway Program designed to enhance the professional skills of women and people of color who seek to become directors of athletics, through education, training and mentorship. He served as chair of the NCAA Championships committee in 2016-17.
During Young's tenure as athletic director, the Carleton coaching staff collected a total of 35 MIAC Coach of the Year honors and guided the Knights to 32 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular-season titles, 10 MIAC Playoff crowns, and 36 trips to the NCAA Championships in addition to numerous individual qualifiers for Nationals in golf, swimming & diving, and track & field. In 2023, Donna Ricks, Carleton's head women's cross country and track & field coach, was named National Coach of the Year after leading her team to the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country National Championship.
Formerly Carleton’s Associate Athletic Director, Gerald Young took over as Athletic Director on June 1, 2010 following the retirement of Leon Lunder. Young also serves as chair of the Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR) Department. He was the lead person for the athletic department’s recovery from the Cannon River flood of Sept. 2010.
Young came to Carleton in 1992 and served as an assistant football coach at Carleton for 17 seasons and as an assistant softball coach for 10 seasons. He also worked with the men’s and women’s track programs.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in health, physical education, and recreation from Southwestern College (Kan.) and his master of science degree in physical education from St. Cloud State University.
A former all-conference defensive end at Southwestern, Young served stints as an assistant football coach at St. Cloud State, Western Oregon State University, and MacMurray College (Ill.). He also was assistant coordinator of student-athlete services at Oregon State University.
His involvement within the NCAA includes, but is not limited to:
• Completing the 2001–02 NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males.
• Acting as chair of the NCAA Division III infractions panel in 2005.
• Completing the 2007-08 NCAA Pathway Program designed to enhance the professional skills of women and people of color who seek to become directors of athletics, through education, training and mentorship.
Young resides in Northfield with his wife, Ann Wieber-Young, and his two children.
