Jay Young returns to Rutgers in 2025-26 for his second year as an assistant coach in his second stint with the Scarlet Knights. A respected veteran with 37 years of coaching experience, Young returned to Rutgers in 2024-25 after four seasons as head coach at Fairfield University.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jay Young back home to Rutgers,” said head coach Steve Pikiell said at the time of his hiring. “Jay is one of the hardest workers I have been around in my 30-plus years of coaching. He helped build winning programs from the ground up at Stony Brook and Rutgers and brings an outstanding wealth of knowledge to all areas of our program.”
Young added, “It’s special for my family and me to be back with Coach Pikiell after 14 great years together. I value being around great people and a tremendous university. During my previous tenure at Rutgers, I met so many remarkable people, and now to be reunited with them, I couldn’t be more excited. I am as hungry as ever to get back to coaching.”
Career Highlights
Young has guided programs to eight national tournament appearances, including two at both the Division I and II levels and four at the Division III level, highlighted by an NJCAA Final Four berth.
During his first tenure at Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights set new standards for Big Ten wins, recorded their first Big Ten postseason victory in 2017, and reached the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time in 2018. In 2019-20, KenPom.com ranked Rutgers as the most improved Power Six conference program in the nation, jumping 71 positions from the previous season. Following Young’s departure, Rutgers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years in 2021 and returned in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1976.
Before returning to Rutgers, Young served as Associate Head Coach at Stony Brook University under Steve Pikiell. He helped guide the Seawolves to their first NCAA postseason berth in Division I history in 2016, after winning the America East Tournament and Regular Season Championship, and also earned three NIT appearances. Young was instrumental in recruiting Jameel Warney, a three-time America East Player of the Year and Stony Brook’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, and blocked shots, as well as three of the Seawolves’ top four all-time leading scorers.
Previously, Young served as head coach at the University of New Haven, leading a program with just one winning season in the prior eight years to back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances in 2003-04, including the school’s first national-stage victory since 1988. He posted a 78-66 (.542) record over five seasons, culminating with four consecutive winning campaigns.
Young began his head coaching career at Newbury College in the junior college ranks, earning NJCAA Regional Coach of the Year honors twice and 1995 NJCAA District VI Coach of the Year. He guided the team to three straight postseason appearances, highlighted by a trip to the 1995 NJCAA Division III Final Four. His assistant coaching experience also includes stops at Northeastern, Salem State, and Fitchburg State.
Young began his coaching career as an assistant at Fitchburg State (1987-88), followed by Salem State (1988-90) under Jim Todd, helping the Vikings win consecutive MASCAC titles and reach the NCAA Division III tournament twice.
A 1986 graduate of Marist College with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Young resides with his wife, Janet.
