Chris Del Conte was named vice president and athletics director at The University of Texas at Austin on December 9, 2017. Prior to his appointment, he served as director of intercollegiate athletics at Texas Christian University since 2009 and is nationally recognized for developing winning programs, upgrading facilities, improving the fan experience and helping student-athletes excel on and off the field.
During his eight years at TCU, Del Conte oversaw a series of historic moments for TCU Athletics that include the Horned Frogs' July 1, 2012 entrance into the Big 12 Conference. He oversaw nationally competitive teams in football and other sports and upgraded facilities for football, basketball, baseball, track and field and volleyball, among other sports. He also increased donations to the athletics department and hired several world-class coaches.
While at TCU, Del Conte managed over $300 million in construction projects that were all donor funded. He took the Horned Frogs to new heights under his leadership, as the 2017 fiscal year saw a new record-breaking Frog Club Annual Giving total. The three highest totals in overall athletic giving at TCU happened in the last four years of his tenure in Fort Worth.
Under his guidance, TCU-student-athletes attained their highest grade-point average in school history, and five TCU head coaches (football, baseball, rifle, men’s tennis and equestrian) were named National Coach of the Year in their respective sports. Two national team championships and five individual NCAA track and field titles also were won.
Del Conte was the recipient of a 2015 NACDA Under Armour AD of the Year Award and the 2010 Bobby Dodd Division I-A Athletic Director's Award. In February 2015, he was named to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Committee.
Prior to TCU, he served as Athletics Director at Rice University (2006-09), and was the senior associate athletics director for external operations and sports programs at the University of Arizona (2000-06). Del Conte also served as an assistant athletics director for external operations at both Washington State (1998-99) and Cal Poly (1994-98).
Del Conte received a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from UC Santa Barbara, where he was a track and field student-athlete, and a master's degree in education, administration and supervision from Washington State. Del Conte is married to Dr. Robin Ward and has two daughters, Sienna and Sophia.