Del Conte Named Director of Athletics

Chris Del Conte, after serving as senior associate athletics director at the University of Arizona in Tucson, has been appointed Rice University’s new director of athletics.

“Chris Del Conte is recognized as one of the most capable administrators and leaders in college sports,” says Rice president David Leebron. “His dedication to the overall development of the student–athlete and his understanding of the value of intercollegiate athletics in an academic setting are ideal for building upon the notable success Bobby May achieved during his 17 years as athletics director.”

Del Conte succeeds May, who announced his retirement in April. May led Rice to its status as one of the most respected intercollegiate sports programs in the nation after becoming athletics director in 1989.

“Rice’s paramount academic reputation made this job very appealing,” says Del Conte, who will be the university’s 14th athletics director. “President Leebron’s vision for the university and the reputation of Rice academically and athletically were in line with my value system.”

When Del Conte joined the University of Arizona’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in December 1999, he oversaw all aspects of athletic fund development, including raising revenue to support the completion of a $13 million athletics pavilion and more than $6.5 million for student–athlete scholarships. In 2002, his responsibilities were expanded to include overseeing the ticket office, marketing, corporate sales, and trademarks and licensing. He implemented a capital campaign known as “Campaign Arizona for the Student–Athlete,” which has raised more than $120 million.

In 2003, Del Conte was named one of three senior associate athletics directors, and his duties were expanded to include overseeing media relations, business operations, and external affairs and co-managing the day-to-day operation of the university’s 19 sports programs. He became responsible for the supervision of all areas of external operations, which now generate $28 million in annual revenue, and he worked directly with all coaches, department heads, and staff and participated in the hiring of coaches and other personnel. He also oversaw all contracts, including corporate sponsorships, broadcast rights, sporting events, and website agreements.

Bobby Tudor ’82, a Rice alum and trustee who chaired the search committee for the new athletics director, noted the committee focused on finding someone who could build on the broad level of academic and athletic excellence that Rice has achieved and also reach beyond Rice to the broader Houston community. “We were very impressed with Chris’s high level of energy, enthusiasm, and drive and also with his commitment to the notion of the student–athlete as we see it at Rice,” Tudor says.

Del Conte has a master’s degree in education administration from Washington State University, where he served as assistant athletics director for external operations before going to Arizona. He has a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Del Conte is married to Robin Ward, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Education. They have two daughters, Sienna and Sophia.