Dear Members of the Yale Athletics Community,
I am pleased to announce the reappointment of Vicky Chun as the Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics. This renewal extends her term through June 30, 2031.
I am reappointing Vicky because of the successes achieved in the athletics department under her leadership over the past eight years. My decision is the result of an extensive review process that has spanned the past several months. All head coaches and senior staff members were invited to participate in confidential conversations with external reviewers. Numerous coaches, staff, students, alumni, and community members shared their comments and assessments with me directly, and I am grateful to everyone who took the time to offer their feedback. I have shared with Vicky the main themes that have emerged from this review process, so that in addition to affirming her tenure’s accomplishments, she can continuously strengthen Yale Athletics.
It was made clear by the majority of the comments we received, as well as the athletics department’s record, that much has been accomplished since Vicky’s arrival. Our student-athletes and coaches have achieved too much to list in a single message, but some of the most sustained success has included Yale football winning four Ivy League championships since 2019 and securing the first NCAA FCS playoff victory in Ivy League history; women’s volleyball winning three consecutive Ivy League regular-season titles, and earning three straight NCAA tournament appearances (2022, 2023, 2024); and men’s basketball winning five Ivy League regular-season championships since 2018.
Several teams have achieved historic breakthroughs. Field hockey made its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history in 2025. Women’s ice hockey reached the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in program history in 2022 and won its second ECAC regular-season championship in 2026. Softball won the Ivy League regular-season championship in 2024 for the first time since 1993. Men’s tennis made its first NCAA team tournament appearance since 1977, and women’s tennis earned its first Ivy League title in over a decade in 2026. Baseball won back-to-back Ivy League regular-season championships and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Women’s lacrosse won two outright Ivy League regular-season championships (2024, 2026), two Ivy League Tournament titles (2024, 2025), back-to-back NCAA Quarterfinal appearances (2024, 2025), and a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2026. And in 2023, men’s soccer won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament championship.
These victories reflect the dedication of our student-athletes and coaches, alongside the support that Vicky and the Yale Athletics team have provided.
Perhaps the most tangible support has come in the form of facilities improvements. With the help of Yale alumni, Vicky has led a series of capital projects that have enhanced the student-athlete experience while also serving the thousands of members of the Yale and New Haven communities who utilize our facilities each year.
These investments include the renovation of Lapham Field House; the restoration and exterior improvements to the historic George H. W. Bush ’48 Field; the restoration of the Yale Golf Course; the renovation of the Kiphuth Pool locker rooms and the Yale fencing salon; numerous playing surface upgrades; videoboard installations and venue enhancements across nearly every athletics facility; and significant upgrades to the recreational spaces within Payne Whitney Gymnasium.
Just as crucial to our student-athletes’ flourishing is their physical and mental well-being. Under Vicky, the athletics team has significantly enhanced staffing and organizational structures in athletic medicine and strength and conditioning. They have integrated these areas under a unified sports performance model that prioritizes a holistic approach to student-athlete health and wellness. This commitment has also included embedding a dedicated mental health counselor within Yale Athletics, expanding access to mental health support.
For Vicky, though, the ultimate metric of student-athlete success is empowerment. To that end, the athletics team has revitalized the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), transforming it into an organization with markedly increased representation at both the conference and national levels. They have also launched a student-athlete mental health initiative focused on reducing stigma, increasing awareness, and strengthening advocacy around mental health and well-being. And believing that the best use of agency is giving back, they have established community engagement efforts through SAAC and Yale Bulldogs for Change, resulting in the delivery of more than 500 care packages to communities in need across New Haven since 2023. In addition, Yale SAAC has created a pen pal program with the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven, fostering meaningful connections between student-athletes and local youth.
As our student-athletes have impressively demonstrated, success is the outcome of collaboration and a commitment to improvement. Vicky has led Yale Athletics in partnership with our outstanding coaches, student-athletes, and staff, along with the advice and support of the Faculty Committee on Athletics, the deans of Yale College, alumni and donors, and others in our community. Vicky and I both want to acknowledge our deep appreciation for all these groups.
To further support our alumni and donor community, the offices in athletics responsible for alumni and donor relations will work more closely with the university’s central Office of Alumni Affairs and Development through a joint appointment. Yale is extraordinarily fortunate to have active and devoted alumni and donors. Vicky and I look forward to continuing to work together to deepen and advance these relationships in furtherance of Yale Athletics.
The achievement that Vicky has fostered during her time at the helm of Yale Athletics affirms her leadership and her reappointment. I extend my appreciation to all at Yale and beyond who care deeply about Yale Athletics and have invested themselves in its success. I thank Vicky for what she and her staff have accomplished, and I look forward to an even brighter future for the Bulldogs.
Sincerely,
Maurie McInnis
President
Professor of the History of Art