Retiring Carleton AD promises to ‘stay on speed dial’

Gerald Young in a few days officially starts his retirement. The longest tenured Black athletic director in the MIAC will step down on July 1 from his dual roles as athletic administrator, professor and department chair, a total of 32 years at Carleton College on July 1.

In a recent “exit” phone interview, Young told the MSR, “I’m getting out while I have great health. I’m 63 now.”

Young leaves CC with a ton of accomplishments under his watch: 35 MIAC Coach of the Year honors, 32 league regular season titles, 10 playoff crowns, and 32 NCAA championships trips. 

After 17 years as an assistant football coach, 10 years as an assistant softball coach and a track and field assistant coach before assuming the AD position in 2010, Young has served on the NCAA Division Three Management Council, the MIAC Budget Committee, and was an active leader in the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association. 

In May, Young was granted the MIAC Distinguished Service Award, only the school’s second such honoree since 2010.

“It’s been a good run,” said Young. 

The world of college sport, even at the Division Three level, has seen numerous changes since Young became Carleton’s AD. “College sport is really at a critical crossroads,” he pointed out. “It’s becoming pay-for-play minor league stuff that’s never been the reason I think a lot of people got into this profession.”

NIL at present hasn’t been a major issue either, since Division Three schools do not have athletic scholarships. “I’ve seen no effect whatsoever,” reports Young, “but I think that eventually it’s coming to [DIII]. I don’t know where.”

But student-athlete mental health remains a high priority in college sports, he added. “We really think that there are some steps in general to try to make it better for our student athletes in that aspect of it,” said Young

Over the years, Young has been a strong advocate for more Black athlete directors at all levels. With his retirement, Macalester’s Donnie Brooks now is the conference’s only Black athlete director. 

“I had hoped that we’d make more strides, not so much in the athletic director’s chair but in athletic administration overall. I don’t think it’s for lack of people trying.

“When I started as an AD in Division Three, there were maybe a handful of us,” said Young. “When I was at the [NCAA] convention in January, there were about 40 of us in the room.

“My number-one goal was to raise the bar for us to have more, not just in Minnesota but nationally,” continued Young. “I wanted it to grow, and I think it is really a great thing to see that.”

Said MIAC Associate Commissioner BJ Pickard, “We are going to miss Gerald. He has been so impactful for our conference on so many fronts, more importantly being a really good, really smart, really thoughtful person who really cares about small college athletics and athletes.”

Young said that he has passed “the pushing for more diversity” baton to Brooks: “It’s time for him to step up.” Heidi Jaynes was promoted from senior woman administrator to Carleton AD.  

Although he is stepping down, Young said he won’t be totally away from the school where he has served for over three decades. “I am OK with being on speed dial” whenever he is needed for advice and counsel. “I’m still going to stay here in Minnesota.”