Jason Young, FDU's new athletics director, is calling this a "golden era" for the Knights—and with good reason. Under outgoing AD Brad Hurlbut, the program has experienced an unprecedented run of success across multiple sports. From men's basketball's stunning upset of top-seeded Purdue in March Madness to women's basketball's back-to-back undefeated seasons in the Northeast Conference, the momentum has been undeniable.

Men's soccer has made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, women's volleyball reached the NCAAs for the first time in program history, and women's bowling advanced all the way to the NCAA Final Four. On the track, standout Salif Mane became an NCAA champion in the triple jump and finished sixth at the Paris Olympics. Meanwhile, the baseball team is currently 24-6 in the NEC and eyeing its first NCAA appearance, following a $1.3 million stadium renovation.

Young, 36, has been part of this journey since arriving at FDU in 2019, rising through the ranks to deputy athletic director. He played a key role in negotiating the naming-rights sponsorship that renamed the Rothman Center to the Bogota Savings Bank Center in 2024, and recently led talks that made FDU the first U.S. college to sign an apparel deal with Macron, the Italian sportswear giant known for its presence in international soccer.

In a wide-ranging interview, Young shared his vision for FDU athletics during a transformative time in college sports. "We're calling it the golden era of FDU Knights athletics," he said. "Once we got through COVID, we really took off like a rocket ship. Brad's ability to come in with a vision and get everyone to buy in was game-changing. That's going to be his legacy."

As for the future, Young is navigating the complexities of the modern college sports landscape, including the NCAA's House settlement on revenue sharing. While FDU hasn't opted in yet, the new AD is clearly ready to build on the program's remarkable trajectory—and keep the Knights in the spotlight for years to come.