The athletic department at FWCD is gearing up for a massive change this summer. After the current Athletic Director, Leigh Block, announced he would be stepping down from the position, the process of hiring his successor began. More than 100 applications were submitted, and every single one was reviewed and rated by those involved in the process. After every resume and application had been sorted through and three candidates visited the campus, there was one clear winner. Starting on July 1, 2026, Barry Chamberlin will be the FWCD’s Athletic Director. 

Chamberlain currently works in Tampa, Florida at Carrollwood Day School and is serving as their Athletic Director. Before this, he worked at St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio, at which time the school competed in the Southwest Preparatory Conference. Chamberlain has two children, currently in seventh and fourth grade, who will both be attending FWCD next year.

For Chamberlain, the move is both personal and professional.

“Texas is home for us,” Chamberlain said. “Coming back to the SPC and a school like Country Day is really exciting, both for my family life and professionally.”

Chamberlain said that one of his main focuses coming back into the SPC will be to build relationships, both internally and externally

“In the short term, it’s about getting to know everyone and really building relationships with the coaching staff, the student-athletes, and the families,” Chamberlain said. “I also plan to connect with fellow athletic directors, both within the SPC and in the broader community, because a lot of this job ties back into relationships and representing the school well.”

Block, the current athletic director at FWCD, was very involved in Chamberlain’s hiring process.

“He was a 10 out of 10 candidate,” Block said. “He understands independent schools, he knows our conference, and he’s been a coach; that experience really matters to us.”

Head of School Eric Lombardi was also very impressed with Chamberlain throughout the selection process.

“We were looking for someone who understood independent schools and the balance between strong academics and competitive athletics,” Lombardi said. “Mr. Chamberlain’s experience and philosophy really aligns well with Country Day’s core values.”

Lombardi highlighted some key factors that he hoped candidates would have and how Chamberlain demonstrated them.

“What stands out is his focus on relationships and communication,” Lombardi said. “That’s something that really fits into our culture here.”

Block also mentioned similar characteristics that he saw in Chamberlain, which made him such a stand-out candidate. 

“Coaches know how to problem-solve and adapt because games and practices are constantly changing,” Block said. “That experience translates really well to this job, and I think it’s going to help him connect quickly with our coaches and programs.”

Chamberlain also highlighted the importance of a balanced program that focuses on parts of sports outside of winning.

“All coaches want to compete and win,” Chamberlain said. “But the goal is to be transformational; helping students grow as people and as athletes.”

Lombardi emphasized a similar message, focusing on the importance of all sports and student life beyond sports. 

“A good athletic director represents all sports and students,” Lombardi said. “The expectation here is constant improvement, both on and off the field, and that’s something our program values.”

FWCD varsity lacrosse coach Patrick Diamonon met Chamberlain on his visit to the FWCD campus. Diamonon shared his first impression on Chamberlain. 

“He had a lot of great energy, and there’s a lot of things that he and I see eye to eye philosophically on how we view our student-athletes and the holistic experience here at Country Day” Said Diamonon.

To Chamberlain, students’ focus should be held equally on academics and athletics as a way to teach preparation and good balance in life.

“Students are able to learn time management and accountability through sports,” Chamberlain said. “Those lessons can prepare them for college and life beyond high school.”

Diamonon also talked about his thoughts what Chamberlain would bring to the table 

“With a fresh set of eyes, he’s able to see where there’s stuff that we can improve on and also build on the areas where we’re already successful.”

Block and Lombardi have spent time focusing on making the transition from Florida to Texas as easy as possible for Chamberlain. 

“He and I have been talking every couple of weeks since he got the job, and we’re going through every single procedure and policy we have,” Block said. “That way he can walk in and everything is ready to go, and he’ll feel really well prepared when he gets here.”

Chamberlain shared that his main focus for all student-athletes in the program was to learn failure.

“It’s okay to fail,” Chamberlain said. “Sometimes you have to put yourself out there and go all in, even if you don’t have success. You might not win that championship, but if you can learn from it, get back up and keep growing, that’s a lesson you can take with you far beyond sports.”