Jump to content

Texas AD Chris Del Conte

Machinator

By Machinator
in Football

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 6.8k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Mittens
Mittens

No CR:  

Penche Gringo
Penche Gringo

Here you go

JFKFC
JFKFC

Fortunate?!? There are 2 sports that matter: Football & Men's basketball. CDC's hires for both have been absolute abortions. 

Posted Images

Loop 1604

Loop 1604 227

Posted
Posted
On 10/18/2022 at 9:21 AM, 83Horn said:

Dawg???  You address the University of Texas Athletics Director as "Dawg"?  And you expect to be taken seriously?  And you're asking for Texas to break out some alternate uniforms?  Moron.

GIF by Zack Kantor
 

Agree. F alternate unis unless they are throwbacks or classics. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49185

Posted
Posted

The Insider (Part 2): In five years at Texas, Chris Del Conte has transformed UT athletics

By  FUCK CHIP BROWN         71 min ago

Quote

Today — Friday, Dec. 9 — marks the five-year anniversary of Chris Del Conte’s hire as athletic director at Texas — a day Longhorn Nation should make part of their annual holiday celebration.

When Del Conte, known simply as CDC, made the move from serving as athletic director at TCU to Texas five years ago, he jokingly said he wanted to come to Austin and see if he could stay atop a bucking Bevo for eight seconds.

He’s done more than that ­— overseeing the largest facility renovation in the history of college athletics — touching all 20 sports at Texas; consolidating the men’s and women’s athletic departments; completely revamping game days for Texas football; making aggressive coaching hires; winning 10 national titles (four of them in 2021); helping orchestrate UT’s impending move to the SEC; and breaking Stanford’s 25-year stranglehold on the Director’s Cup by winning it in back-to-back years (2020 and 2021) … all while holding annual Town Hall meetings and continuing to respond to Texas fan questions/requests daily on social media.

“CDC has done a fantastic job of uniting Longhorn Nation,” Texas president Jay Hartzell told Horns247. “This can be seen through the widespread support of the department’s capital projects, but also through the enthusiasm and pride I hear about every day when talking to our alumni, supporters, students, faculty and staff.

“He can paint an ambitious vision that we can all rally behind, and then he and his team deliver. He wants to win, but he also wants athletics to be part of the fabric of the university.

“That’s important at a place like Texas, where athletics has such a huge brand and following — but where the university is world-class academically, as well.

“Given all the trends and uncertainty facing college sports, I’m especially grateful for his leadership in anticipating where things are heading and helping position us to continue to thrive in such turbulent times. And, of course, we are only as good as our coaches and their staffs — and he’s hired extremely well.”

In the last five years at Texas, Del Conte and his staff have:

— Executed the largest overhaul of athletics facilities — $731 million — in the history of college athletics over a five-year span.

“It has been a huge undertaking,” said Andrew Hamor, who leads the Longhorn Foundation - the fund-raising arm of UT athletics. “His leadership and vision are what made it possible. He often talks about getting everyone rowing in the same direction, and that’s exactly what he has done. Everyone including administration, coaches, staff and donors have been together on this facility transformation. It wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

“He is so engaged and in tune with our donors and fans, which has been so positive for the overall department. Donors are drawn to the vision and understand that they play a key role in the success of Texas athletics.

“He has been effective because he is demanding but also makes sure coaches, student-athletes and staff have the resources they need to succeed. On top of that, he also is very focused on making the fan experience the very best it can be. You don’t have to look hard for examples of that in the last five years and constantly looking to make it better each year.”

— Completely remade the atmosphere on game days for Texas football on the outside of DKR with Bevo Blvd. (including the Team Walk), Smokey’s Midway and Longhorn City Limits concerts that have included everyone from Jack Ingram and Gin Blossoms to Nelly, Ludacris and Flo Rida; as well as remade the in-game experience — replacing scripts full of sponsor mentions with pump-up music and video displays that keep fans engaged.

“The reason I chose to come to Texas is Chris Del Conte and his unmatched energy and drive for excellence in everything he does,” said Drew Martin, who served as Del Conte’s external services director at TCU before taking the same position at UT.

Martin has been a driving force behind the remaking of football game days at Texas.

“Witnessing it up-close and personal over the last decade — at TCU and now here at Texas — his magnanimous personality attracts a crowd and commands the room,” Martin said. “People naturally want to follow this guy wherever he’s headed, sometimes through a wall if need be.

“Chris gets a lot of credit — deservedly so — for being the ultimate fund-raiser. But his intentional, structured approach to athletics leadership — one that puts the student-athlete at the top of the inverted pyramid and himself at the pointy tip at the bottom — is what sets him apart from the rest. Every decision we make as a department is with the best interest of the student-athlete in mind. Chris makes sure of that.”

— Celebrated 10 national championships – in men’s swimming and diving (2018, 2020, 2021), women’s tennis (2021, 2022), rowing (2021, 2022), men’s golf

(2022), men’s tennis (2019) and men’s indoor track (2022).

“Chris is a special person in a very tough job,” said 15-time national championship Texas men’s swimming coach Eddie Reese. “He takes care of people and the University of Texas athletic department at the highest level. We are lucky to have him.”

Sarah Baumgartner, Del Conte’s chief liaison to UT’s coaches who came to Texas from Rutgers in 2021, calls Del Conte “a titan in college athletics and a transformative leader.”

“His vision for Texas has been bold and unwavering,” Baumgartner said. “He has a beautiful gift to build genuine relationships with our supporters, who have chosen to lean in and support the vision in an unprecedented and best-fundraising total for an athletic department in college athletics history. It’s beyond remarkable.

“With our coaches and student-athletes, he is accessible, relatable, and he cares deeply. It’s a combination that isn’t easily found. He has been a mentor and a friend for a long time and to finally get to work alongside him after all these years is humbling and honestly so much fun.”

— Hired coaches who’ve won a national title at Texas (track coach Edrick Floreal); reached the national championship game at Texas (softball coach Mike White); or reached the national championship game at previous stops (basketball coaches Chris Beard and Vic Schaefer). Football coach Steve Sarkisian helped win a national championship as an assistant at Alabama (2020) and USC (2004).

“I think what makes CDC such a great athletic director for the University of Texas is his approachability,” said UT women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer, who went to the national championship game twice at Mississippi State and has reached the Elite Eight in both of his seasons at Texas.

“He will listen and talk with all of our boosters about anything. I think he’s been in administration for 30 something years, so I think he’s wise. He’s very in tune with what is going on across college athletics in the country.

“But from a coach’s perspective, he lets you work. He believes in you. And for someone like me, who he hired two years ago, that means a great deal. And I’m sure it means a great deal to all of our coaches. He’s not a micromanager. He believes in his staff, believes in his coaches and he will do everything he can to see that we are successful. What more could you ask of an athletic director?”

— Helped guide the department through the Eyes of Texas controversy and a global pandemic in 2020.

Texas track coach Edrick Floreal, whose men’s team won the NCAA indoor national championship in March, said the turmoil in 2020 “revealed the character of our leadership and in our coaches.”

“Some programs didn’t address everything that happened involving the social unrest following George Floyd’s death and kind of swept it under the rug,” Floreal said.

“We not only had covid and George Floyd to deal with, we had the Eyes of Texas, the statues and it was kind of like — ‘What’s next?’

“But you don’t get better unless you can come together in times of turmoil like that and build character. Not everybody has the right stuff in them to come through in times like that.

“I think adversity is important. Too often, we try too hard to manage the pain instead of feeling it and exploring it and learning how to deal with it and attack it.

“We found out — like great generals at war time — that we have coaches who are great leaders and an exceptional athletic director in Chris Del Conte, who encouraged us to have open and honest dialogues with our student-athletes and get everything on the table.”

— Helped orchestrate the Longhorns’ impending move from the Big 12 to the SEC, currently slated to occur in the summer of 2025 (although it could happen in 2024).

“Seems like just yesterday when I learned that Chris was the new director of athletics at The University of Texas,” said Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione. “That said, what has been accomplished since his arrival in Austin is absolutely off the charts.

“CDC is a humble person and would never ever want the attention, nor overlook the vast number of people it took to make any of that a reality. He will scream the credit goes to those who came before and all those who are part of it now that made it all possible.

“From student-athletes, coaches, staff, university administration, donors and a great fan base, ‘Team Texas,’ as he says — they are the specific reasons for success. And that is absolutely a true and accurate statement. But he played a significant role, too.

“From developing a vision that inspires all to greatness, aligning with the board or regents and a great president — which Texas definitely has in Jay Hartzell, hiring great coaches, assembling all the necessary resources for the athletes, engaging fans and raising significant money to support it all, he has been massively effective.

“I could try to list all the projects and championships, but one thing is certain, he has the priorities correctly in order, and he always does what is best to put everyone and the overall program in position to be successful.

“No disrespect to anyone else, but I’m stunned he wasn’t named National Athletic Director of the Year for all of the accomplishments last year, because I haven’t seen a program do more than Texas. Knowing Chris as I do, there’s more to accomplish resulting in more success to follow.”

— Celebrated back-to-back victories in the Director’s Cup in 2020 and 2021, awarded to the winningest college athletic department in a given academic year (based on points earned from the finishes of 19 qualifying sports) — breaking Stanford’s 25-year stranglehold on the Cup.

“To look back and see everything we’ve accomplished under his (Del Conte’s) expert guidance is truly remarkable,” Drew Martin said. “Almost a billion dollars in capital improvements that have touched all 20 sports (at Texas) — not to mention the head-coaching hires he's made. Pile on two consecutive Director’s Cup titles for the best overall athletic department these past two years, and I would call this a success story.”

HERE’S A LOOK AT THE FACILITY UPGRADES SINCE DEL CONTE TOOK OVER AS UT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR:

— New south end of DKR (with a new recruiting entertainment area being finalized where the old academic center in Moncrief-Neuhaus used to be located - overlooking downtown Austin) - $200 million

— New basketball arena — the Moody Center — funded by the Oak View Group: $400 million

— New basketball and rowing practice facility: $60 million

— New UT Athletics Hall of Fame in the north end of DKR: $17 million

— New locker room and upgraded covered hitting and pitching area for softball: $14 million

— New indoor baseball training facility: $13 million

— New locker room, weight room and student-athlete study/lounge area at Mike A. Myers Stadium for track and soccer: $10 million

— New outdoor swimming pool for men’s and women’s swimming and diving: $10 million

— New student-athlete academic center in the north end of DKR: $7 million

“CDC brings life and excitement to every project he is a part of,” said Texas regents chairman Kevin Eltife, who worked closely with Del Conte and school president Jay Hartzell on UT’s move to the SEC as well as the hiring of football coach Steve Sarkisian.

“I am so grateful for his leadership. There’s no doubt in my mind he is one of the best athletic directors in the country. He has done so much for UT, and there is much more to come in the future.”

 

https://247sports.com/college/texas/LongFormArticle/Texas-Longhorns-football-Chris-Del-Conte-changing-Texas-athletics-Steve-Sarkisian-Moody-Center-Chris-Beard-200025422/#200025422_15

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
formermav43

formermav43 4606

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, JFKFC said:

Fortunate?!?

There are 2 sports that matter: Football & Men's basketball. CDC's hires for both have been absolute abortions. 

I haven’t negged anyone since it changed to the middle finger reaction. It just seemed so personal when I’ve always thought of it as directed towards the post.

But I’ll make an exception.

  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Horn Dogg

Horn Dogg 3897

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, Delta Charlie said:

I just don't understand why some fans are so fixated on the LED lights.  Yeah, it will be cool if/when DKR has them installed. But why keep badgering the AD about it?  Just seems so stupid to me.

Right - let’s get a better football team on the field first and then worry about the fucking disco lights!

  • Hook 'Em 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites
formermav43

formermav43 4606

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Delta Charlie said:

I just don't understand why some fans are so fixated on the LED lights.  Yeah, it will be cool if/when DKR has them installed. But why keep badgering the AD about it?  Just seems so stupid to me.

I don't even understand why it matters. I go to football games to watch the football game, not a light show. (I assume this means I'm getting old.)

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...