Athletic Director

Bio

Mary Young serves as the Athletic Director and Head Volleyball Coach at Central Community College, where she has built one of the most successful junior college volleyball programs in the country. Since taking the helm of the CCC Raiders in 1997, she has become a nationally respected figure in collegiate athletics, recognized for her championship legacy, dedication to academic excellence, and deep involvement in leadership across the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Now surpassing 800 career NJCAA wins, Young has led the Raiders to 14 Region 9 championships, 17 Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference (NCCAC) titles, and 11 NJCAA National Tournament appearances, including nine Top 10 finishes. Her teams have produced more than 100 All-Conference athletes, 98 All-Region players, 26 NJCAA All-Americans, and three American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans. Off the court, her impact is equally impressive, with 101 of her student-athletes earning NJCAA Academic Awards.

In recognition of her remarkable career, Young was inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2024—a fitting honor for a coach who has been named NJCAA District Volleyball Coach of the Year 11 times and Region 9 Coach of the Year 17 times. She has also earned 14 NCCAC Coach of the Year awards and was recognized as the AVCA West Region Coach of the Year in 2002, 2008, and 2011. In 2018, she received the John & Suann Roueche Excellence Award from the League for Innovation and was named a finalist for the Omaha World-Herald Midlands Coach of the Year. Under her guidance, the Raiders earned the distinction of NJCAA Volleyball Academic Team of the Year in 2012. In Spring 2024, Young was honored with the NJCAA George E. Killian Award of Excellence, recognizing her extraordinary leadership and service to the association. Later, in Fall 2024, she received the Nebraska Community College Association (NCCA) Administrator Award, celebrating her outstanding leadership in athletics at Central Community College. 

Beyond coaching, Young plays a significant leadership role in shaping junior college athletics at the national level. She currently serves as the Women’s Senior Administrator for the NJCAA, Chair of the NJCAA Coaches Association Board of Directors, and holds active roles on the NJCAA Sports Governance, Championships, Eligibility, Appeals, and Hall of Fame Committees. Additionally, she is an Executive Committee Member for the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA), District 5.

Throughout her career, Young has held numerous leadership positions across a wide range of NJCAA and AVCA committees. These include her roles as Director and Assistant Director for NJCAA Region 9, inaugural member of the NJCAA Board of Regents, Chair of the NJCAA Beach and Division II Court Volleyball Committees, and Chair of the NJCAA Health and Safety Committee. Her service on multiple volleyball, basketball, and softball committees—as well as those focused on athlete welfare and national governance—demonstrates her far-reaching influence in collegiate athletics.

Originally from Arcadia, Nebraska, Young is a proud graduate of Central Community College–Columbus. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in recreation from the University of South Dakota and a master’s degree in counseling–student affairs from the University of Nebraska–Omaha. She resides in Columbus with her husband, Joel, and their two children, Kaden and Gabbi.