Ralph Hayward Young

Ralph Hayward Young

Kalamazoo College All Sports Coach (1919 - 1923)
Michigan State Athletic Director (1923 – 1954)

Ralph Young was born in Crown Point, Indiana and graduated from Washington and Jefferson College. He spent four years at DePauw University coaching football, basketball and track before moving over to Kalamazoo College where from 1919 – 1923 he coached all sports. Young moved over to Michigan State in 1923 staying there until his retirement in 1954. During Young’s tenure, Michigan State’s Athletic Department grew into one of the nation’s finest. The most important accomplishment was Michigan State’s entrance into the Big Ten conference. Young’s track teams from 1923 – 1940 produced twenty-seven All-Americans, four U.S. Olympians and three world record holders. In five years as head football coach Michigan State compiled an 18 – 22 – 1 record. After his retirement from Michigan State, Young served three consecutive two-year terms in the state legislature. Ralph Young was inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1961. He passed away on January 23, 1962 at 72 years of age.