Chris Ratcliff became UAM's first full-time athletics director on March 7, 2011. His appointment came following five-year tenure as the head women's basketball coach, the last two serving as coach and athletics director.
Ratcliff’s mission to change the culture of UAM Athletics has shown with improvements in all facets of the department. Nine new positions have been created to put the athletic department on equal footing within the Great American Conference.
Six new scholarship endowments have been created to aid our coaches and student-athletes.
The overall GPA has increased from 2.5 to 2.9 during his tenure with student-athletes completing an average of 2,600 hours of community service per year.
Each year, there has been an increase in annual giving as well as corporate sales. $300,000 was raised during 2014-2015 academic year with 270 plus members joining the UAM Sports Association. This was an all time high.
Ratcliff has also overseen two major capital campaigns over the last four years, including a $500,000 improvement to Weevils Field, the home of UAM baseball. The facility was renovated to include new dugouts, suspension netting, bleachers, press box and modern fencing. Blossoms Field, the home of UAM softball, saw similar improvements with new exterior fencing, backstop, dugout roofs, bleachers, press box, batting cages and bullpens.
Two major capital campaigns, in the last four years, are completed. $500,000 was raised to provide baseball with new baseball dugouts, suspension netting, bleachers, press box, and fencing. In addition, softball received a new fence, backstop, dugout roofs, bleachers, press box, batting cages, bullpens, and exterior fencing. $100,000 was fundraised to completely renovate the weight room with all new equipment.
In 2014, additional funds were raised to provide Men’s and Women’s Golf with an indoor putting green and hitting net that is located on their new on campus driving range.
In 2015, Steelman Field House gym received a facelift. A painted green gym floor and LED scorers tables were added to enhance the game day experience.
Since 2011, Ratcliff has served on the Board of Directors for D2 Athletic Directors Association (ADA). In 2016, he was voted in as Third Vice President. He is currently on the D2 ADA NCAA Regulatory Committee and the national chairman of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee. Chris also served for two seasons on the Men’s Basketball Regional Advisory Committee.
He is no stranger to administration. For the two-year period before becoming part-time AD, Ratcliff served as UAM’s Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance, where he gained the knowledge of what it takes to run an athletic department. He has remained active in the compliance world by attending numerous regional rules seminars.
The Houston, Texas native came to UAM in 2006 as the school’s sixth head women’s basketball coach. He more than doubled his win total from his first season to his second. In his third year at the helm of the Blossoms (2008-09), Ratcliff and his team captured the program’s first 20-win season of the decade (21-9), the program’s first-ever appearance in the finals of the Gulf South Conference Championship Tournament, and the program’s second appearance in the NCAA South Regional.
In addition to taking the team to its first ever GSC Championship game, Ratcliff’s 2007-08 squad was the first UAM team to earn a spot in the GSC Semi-Finals game after knocking off then ranked No. 7 West Georgia in the quarterfinals.
Prior to his hire at UAM, Ratcliff served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Henderson State University, where he helped lead the Lady Reddies to numerous postseason appearances, including the 2006 NCAA Division II Elite Eight, the 2005 Sweet 16, and the 2004 Final Four, while winning the 2004 GSC Championship, the 2006 GSC-West Championship and posting three consecutive 20-win seasons.
His skills as a recruiter also aided the Lady Reddies to conference and national prominence.
He helped assemble the talent that included two D2 All-Americans, one Academic All-American and six All-GSC selections.
The Lady Reddies showed marked improvement during his tenure, winning 23 games in 2004, 25 games in 2005 and 29 games in 2006, setting new school records for wins each year.
Prior to his time at HSU, Ratcliff served in the same role at San Jacinto Junior College in Houston, Texas from 1999-2003. While there, he aided the Lady Gators to the NJCAA Region XIV Tournament for the first time ever in 2002, followed by another appearance the next season.
At San Jacinto, he recruited four All-Region XIV players and 14 all-conference selections.
Ratcliff earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Leisure from Henderson State in 2005, followed by a Master of Science in Sports Administration in 2006, also from HSU.
He and his wife, Andrea, an art teacher at Monticello Elementary School, reside in Monticello, where they are currently raising their two children, Ella and Rivers.
