DOVER, Del. – Delaware State University announced today the appointment of Candy E. Young as the school’s new Athletics Director.

Young moves into DSU’s top athletics post after serving the last seven months as interim senior associate athletics director. In addition, she has served as senior woman administrator for athletics since September 2010.Young

She first came to DSU in 2006 as the head women’s track and cross country coach, a post she served in until 2010. She served as the acting athletics director for the University from March to May of 2009.

DSU President Harry L. Williams said Young’s leadership ability has been well-demonstrated at DSU and that she will bring stability to the DSU Athletics Program. “She is committed to staying here, to building the DSU Athletics Program, and to establishing new levels of excellence,” Dr. Williams said. “As a former Olympian and a world-record holder, Ms. Young brings a set of standards to the DSU athletics that will move it to new heights.”

Prior to her arrival at Delaware State, Young served as an assistant men and women’s track coach at California State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Ohio State University, and Seton Hall University from 1992 to 2006. During her 1989-92 stint with Seton Hall, the women’s track team was the Big East Champions in 1992-93. She also served as the head coach of the USA World University team in 1997.

As a high school track star, Young set a world record in 1980 – which still stands – in the 100-meter hurdler (12.94 seconds) during her senior year at Beaver Falls High School in Pennsylvania. That same year, she earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic 100-meter hurdle team, only to be robbed of the chance to compete by the U.S. boycott of the Olympics that year in protest to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.