Deborah Chin

Deborah Chin became the school’s fourth director of athletics in 1993, and currently oversees a department which sponsors 17 NCAA Division II varsity sports. She was elected to the prestigious position of Chair for the NCAA’s Division II Management Council for 2008.

UNH Athletics has enjoyed a high level of success across the board during Chin’s tenure as Director of Athletics, advancing to NCAA tournament play 50 times in 14-plus years. UNH has recently made a number of capital improvements to athletic and recreational facilities, including the construction of the multi-million dollar David A. Beckerman Student Recreation Center, a $1.3 million synthetic turf renovation of Kayo Field (soccer and lacrosse), as well as installation of state-of-the-art blue and yellow synthetic turf at the new Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. Chin spearheaded efforts to re-instate football as a varsity program and find UNH a new athletics conference that best fits the institution’s long-term academic and athletic aspirations. Both goals were accomplished when UNH announced on November 13, 2007 that it had been accepted as a full member of the prestigious Northeast-10 Conference, effective the 2008-09 academic year. The Charger football team will return to the gridiron for the 2009 season.

A member of the University of New Haven staff since 1975, Chin began her UNH career as Coordinator of Women’s Athletics. She was responsible for starting the women’s intercollegiate athletic program at UNH, coaching volleyball, tennis, basketball and softball in the early years. Chin eventually surrendered all head coaching responsibilities, except volleyball, when she was promoted to Associate Director of Athletics in 1979.

Among her numerous honors, Chin was named the NACWAA NCAA Division II Administrator of the Year in 2009 after serving as the D-II Management Council Chair. In 2007, the Connecticut Sportswriters’ Alliance presented Chin with the Gold Key Award, the state’s top sporting honor which recognizes significant contributions to athletics in the State of Connecticut. Chin won the NACDA/Continental Airlines Athletic Director of the Year for the Northeast Region in 1998-99 and was awarded the NACWAA Josten’s District I Administrator of the Year Award in 1997. Chin won the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports Presidential Award in March 1997 and was the Connecticut Post Woman of the Year in 1993. Chin has also earned the U.S. Volleyball Association Meritorious Service Award and the YMCA Women in Leadership Award.

As head women’s volleyball coach, Chin fashioned a Hall of Fame resume - literally - earning induction into the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Hall of Fame in December, 2006. Chin is also a member of the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame (Inducted October, 1998), the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (April, 1999), and the Athletics Hall of Fame at her alma mater, SUNY-Cortland.

In a 19-year career (1975-93) as head coach for the Chargers, she posted a 578-179 record (.764) and was at that time only the fifth Division II coach to win 500 career matches. The Chargers made 10 trips to the NCAA tournament during Chin’s reign, reaching the top five four times. Her awards include six AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year distinctions as well as eight New England Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year honors. Chin coached the Chargers to twelve 30-win seasons, including six straight. She is also recognized internationally as a top volleyball clinician.

As an administrator, Chin has served on over 30 national and regional committees. In addition to her most recent position as Chair of the Division II Management Council, her resume includes terms as chairperson for the NCAA Division II Volleyball Committee (1988-92), the NCAA Division II Baseball Committee (1997-2001), the NCAA Northeast Regional Football Committee (1999-2003), and the NACDA John McLendon Minority Scholarship Committee (1999-present). She served four years on the NACWAA Board of Directors (1993-96), and acted as the Volleyball Commissioner for the 1995 Special Olympics World Games held in New Haven.

A graduate of SUNY-Cortland with a Bachelor’s of science in physical education, Chin earned her Master’s of science degree in physical education from UNC-Greensboro.