FWCD Appoints Barry Chamberlin as Next Athletic Director

Barry Chamberlin will become Fort Worth Country Day’s 10th Athletic Director on July 1, 2026. Chamberlain was selected following a national search and will succeed Leigh Block, who has served as FWCD’s Athletic Director since 2021. Chamberlain joins the Falcon family with more than 15 years of experience in athletic administration and over 20 years in education, including 12 years as a Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach. 

“Barry stood out in a very strong field of candidates,” said Head of School Eric Lombardi, “We are incredibly fortunate to welcome him to Fort Worth Country Day. His depth of experience, his commitment to student-athlete development, and his clear alignment with our values make him an outstanding choice to lead Falcon athletics into the future.”

Most recently, Chamberlin has served as Athletic Director at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Florida, where he oversaw an athletic program of 23 varsity sports and more than 40 sub-varsity, middle school, and lower school teams. Working closely with a dedicated team of over 90 full and part-time coaches and staff members, he focuses on building programs that spark a genuine love of the sport, support student-athlete growth, and reflect the values of the school. He also introduced in-season walkthrough “pop-in” visits and post-season coaching reflections, an approach designed to encourage ongoing learning, feedback and growth among coaches. In addition, Barry has played a key role in fundraising initiatives and has planned a major weight room renovation, helping to bring nearly $1 million in upgrades to Carrollwood’s athletic facilities.

Under Chamberlin’s leadership at Carrollwood, the athletic program has celebrated more than 25 district championships and runner-up finishes, along with two individual state titles and two team state championships in the highly competitive FHSAA state series. He also guided student-athletes through the college recruitment process, with approximately 10% of each graduating class continuing to compete at the collegiate level. In total, more than 55 seniors committed to play college sports during his tenure, including 30 at the NCAA Division I level. As a coach, Chamberlain earned the respect of his peers across the state. In 2021, back at Saint Mary’s Hall, he was selected by his peers as the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Large Private School Coach of the Year. Boys basketball teams he coached reached the state Final Four three times across the SPC and TAPPS conferences.

Before his time in Tampa, Chamberlin spent 11 years at Saint Mary’s Hall in San Antonio, where he served as Head Boys Basketball Coach, Assistant Athletic Director for seven years, and Athletic Director for four years. There, he represented the school in the TAPPS Athletic Conference, ensuring compliance with state athletic guidelines and school policy. He developed and supervised a pre-K through grade 12 Physical Education Department curriculum and worked with the Senior Leadership Team to align the Athletic Department with the broader mission and values of Saint Mary’s Hall, including a close partnership with the Director of Fine Arts to foster excellence and student success across disciplines.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Barry played basketball for Cedarville University (Ohio), where he was a four-year starter and team captain, scoring over 1,400 points and recording nearly 1,000 rebounds. He holds a master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University (Irvine) and a bachelor’s degree in multi-age physical education with minors in health education and Bible from Cedarville University, providing a strong foundation for his leadership in athletic programs.

Throughout his career, Chamberlin has been recognized for his organizational leadership, collaborative approach, and dedication to developing resilience, teamwork, sportsmanship, and lifelong engagement in athletics.

As the community looks ahead to welcoming the Chamberlin family, FWCD will also spend the spring semester celebrating the meaningful impact of Leigh Block’s leadership. Chamberlin will visit Fort Worth with his wife, Jill, a registered nurse in oncology, and their sons, Brylan (13) and Kason (10), during the spring, before officially beginning his tenure on July 1, 2026.