Sept. 4, 2001

Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. John Ryan, USN, announced Tuesday that Chet Gladchuk has been named the 28th Director of Athletics at the Naval Academy. Gladchuk replaces Jack Lengyel, who is retiring effective Oct. 1.

"We're delighted to welcome Chet Gladchuk to the United States Naval Academy's leadership team as our Director of Athletics," said Adm. Ryan. "Chet is a proven leader in the field of intercollegiate athletics and a man of unquestioned personal integrity. He brings tremendous experience, energy and vision to the job and will make invaluable contributions to the moral, mental and physical development of the Brigade of Midshipmen. On behalf of the entire Naval Academy family, I am delighted to welcome Chet, his wife Kathy, and their family to Annapolis."

"It is an honor and privilege to assume leadership as the Director of Athletics at the Naval Academy," said Gladchuk. "I enthusiastically accept the challenge of further developing an intercollegiate program where the mission is to complement the mind and spirit of those students who will become our nation's future leaders. Our goals include not only competitive success on the fields of play, but also incorporate a vision where excellence is measured by our collected ability to heighten the pride and commitment our alumni and friends have toward the nation's leading military institution of higher learning. Continuing Jack Lengyel's legacy of advancing our programs with honor, dedication and integrity remains the first order of business."

"I want to congratulate Vice Adm. Ryan and his committee for completing this search and hiring a new athletic director in record time," said Bob Beaudine, whose executive search firm helped the Naval Academy conduct a national search for a new Director of Athletics. "Navy conducted the most precise and professionally-executed search I have been associated with in over 20 years in the executive search business."

Gladchuk comes to the Naval Academy from the University of Houston where he had been the Director of Athletics since July 18, 1997. Recognized as one of the nation's top leaders in intercollegiate athletics management, Gladchuk guided the Cougars to 19 Conference USA Championships, made significant strides in the academic success of their student-athletes, gender equity and fiscal management. In addition, Gladchuk increased UH's involvement with the communities and youth of the greater Houston area.

Under Gladchuk's direction, Houston made a number of important changes. He hired Dana Dimel, known throughout the football community as one of the top young head coaches, to direct the Cougar football program into the new millennium in a newly-renovated stadium that is fast becoming a jewel in Division I-A athletics. In addition, Gladchuk sought out and found one of college basketball's finest young coaches, Ray McCallum, and brought him on board to continue the Cougar basketball tradition.

Gladchuk brought all football games back on campus to John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium in 1998, and continually made strides to upgrade the school's athletic facilities. Last summer, the first phase of a massive renovation inside Robertson Stadium was completed, as a ring of tiered seating was added to increase the seating capacity at John O'Quinn Field to 33,000. Gladchuk provided the leadership in raising over $2 million for the top-notch softball facility, which will be ready for the 2001 softball season. Over the past four years, he hired Joe Curl as the head women's basketball coach, Olympian Leroy Burrell as the head coach for the track and field squad and three-time All-America Kyla Holas as UH's first softball coach.

Gladchuk's commitment to gender equity is unmistakable, as both women's soccer and softball were added at Houston since his arrival, with women's golf to be introduced next fall. In addition, over the past two years, he has doubled the resources earmarked toward the advancement of women's sports.

In 1998, 24 luxury boxes were added to Robertson Stadium and 28 to Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston's basketball facility. A new indoor track surface was installed inside the Yeoman Fieldhouse, and on April 1, 2000, the $5 million Tom Tellez Track in the Carl Lewis International Track and Field Complex was formally dedicated and will serve as the home of not only the Cougar track and field teams, but also the Houston women's soccer squad.

In addition to the luxury suites, the atmosphere inside Hofheinz Pavilion significantly improved with the additions of a four-sided scoreboard, complete with four-sided video screens and replay capabilities, revolving Dorna advertising signs along press row and 271 courtside seats.

Cougar teams also made academic strides in the last three years. After completing their best academic year in school history in 2000-01, Cougar teams steadily improved their highest cumulative grade point average for all teams over the past three years, and graduation rates increased annually.

In addition to his duties at UH, Gladchuk has served as President of the Division I-A Athletic Directors Association and Chairman of the Conference USA Football Athletic Directors.

Gladchuk worked effectively with many alumni, friends, fans and members of the Houston Athletic Foundation to raise significant resources for the advancement of the program. In his first three years at UH, over $22 million in new support was raised for facilities, scholarships and operations. Under Gladchuk's guidance, the department planned to implement a capital campaign plan expected to generate over $30 million specifically for scholarships.

Gladchuk came to Houston after serving more than seven years as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Intramurals and Recreation at his alma mater, Boston College. Under Gladchuk, Boston College emerged as one of the NCAA's elite programs of the 1990s. The school's graduation rates for all student-athletes were over 90 percent and the Eagles won the College Football Association's Academic Achievement Award for highest graduation rates among all Division I schools in three of his last five years at Boston College.

He directed the program to increase the base of football season ticket holders and sales jumped from 12,000 in 1991 to 40,000 in 1996. Funding for the Boston College athletics program also increased significantly during his tenure. He turned a $2 million operating deficit into a $1.5 million surplus in three years and increased fundraising for women's sports by over 300 percent. Prior to rejoining Boston College, Gladchuk served as AD at Tulane University from 1987-90. He directed the reinstatement of the Green Wave basketball program to Division I status. In addition, he oversaw the construction of new facilities for the athletics administration and baseball, track and field and tennis teams after a $25 million athletics campaign was successfully completed. Gladchuk also restructured and reorganized the department.

From 1985-87, he served as Associate AD at Syracuse University, heading operations, NCAA compliance, financial aid and facility operations. He also served as the department's liaison with television representatives involved in the production of home athletic contests and annually administered all NCAA legislation.

Gladchuk lettered in football at Boston College and graduated with honors in business management in 1973. He earned a master's in sports administration from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1974, where he began his career in intercollegiate athletics, including serving for seven years as Director of General Physical Education, Assistant and Associate Athletics Director for the university. He also has served as Director of Athletics, physical education and head coach of football for the New Hampton (Prep) School in New Hampshire prior to UMass.

He and his wife, Kathleen, have four children: John, a graduate of Loyola-Marymount University, Katie, a graduate of Boston College, Christie, a junior at Trinity University where she was voted co-captain of the women's basketball team, and Julie, a junior, who is a varsity basketball and lacrosse standout at Clear Lake High School in Houston.