After four decades of service to the University of New Haven, Deborah Chin, athletic director, and associate vice president of athletics, announced her retirement effective February 15.
“I am a firm believer in passing the torch when the shop is in order, and I am confident that the culture of excellence we have established in athletics at the University of New Haven will thrive well into the future. I can’t thank my University of New Haven colleagues enough for their contributions and support during this journey. I leave the program as proud as I was when I joined it more than 40 years ago,” Deborah Chin said.
With Chin as the architect, the University of New Haven’s 16-sport program was built up into a national power at the Division II level. Through her persistent leadership, the University’s athletics have had over 70 NCAA postseason appearances, and claimed dozens of New England Collegiate Conference and Northeat-10 Conference championships. In academic success, University of New Haven teams consistently ranked high under Chin’s leadership.
In 1975, during the beginning of her time here, Chin was the coordinator of women’s athletics. She created the women’s intercollegiate athletics program and served as the first coach for the university’s volleyball, tennis, basketball, and softball teams.
As a coach, Chin displayed a 578-179 record and became the only fifth Division II coach to ever win 500 career matches for volleyball. In 2006, she was inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
From 1993 to present day, Chin has served as the University of New Haven’s director of athletics. She is a past chair of the NCAA Division II Management Council, which is the division’s top policy-making body. Chin also served on the Division II Membership Committee, which helps establish standards for both aspiring and active Division II institutions.
Without a doubt, Chin has brought so much success to the university and had such an impact on its reputation. She is rightfully known nationally as a model advocate for intercollegiate athletics, and has personally left such a huge impact with a vast number of students at the university.
“Debbie has been a visionary leader at the University and in intercollegiate athletics for more than four decades. Her many contributions have had – and will continue to have – a lasting and profound influence on the University, on our Department of Athletics and on the lives of generations of student-athletes,” President Kaplan said.
For all those who wish to thank Chin for her dedicated and passionate service, there will be a reception on Friday, February 10 at 3 p.m. in Dodds Hall.