Reflections: Chris Del Conte

By Victoria Maranan

New AD Chris Del Conte has finally settled-in to the DFW metroplex.

Chris Del Conte caught the Horned Frogs at a time of excitement and great pride. The former Rice athletics director proudly wore his purple TCU baseball cap upon announcement of his new position: TCU athletics director.

Del Conte, a graduate of the University of California—Santa Barbara, finished with a degree in Sociology, but somehow, he ended up in sports.

“Sports play a major role in society,” Del Conte said. “I was always interested in how that role is carried out. I followed my passion, I was a student athlete.”

Former TCU athletics director, Danny Morrison, stepped down earlier this year to pursue a career in the NFL as the president of the Carolina Panthers.

A search panel was formed with the intent of finding Morrison’s successor.

Jim Schlossnagle, TCU Baseball coach as well as a member of the search committee said the panel was looking for someone who would take the athletics program in a differ

ent level.

As Del Conte was announced to be the new athletics director, Schlossnagle felt confident about the decision.

“Personally, I was really fired up,” he said. “You like to have a guy who’s had success at a like institution.”

With talks of building a new stadium and fundraising in the university’s agenda, Del Conte decided there was something else that has to be done first.

“I think for the next two to three months I will just look, listen and learn,” he said. “Spend time with the coaches, student athletes and our staff just to know what their wants and wishes are.”

Accepting a new job in a city away from home was difficult for Del Conte.

“You try to do as much as you can with them, I mean, right now it was difficult because my wife and kids are still in Houston,” Del Conte said. “They will be there for quite a while so you do everything you can. It’s a tough call because the job has a lot of demands.”

See the initial story here at http://blip.tv/file/2759414