Rick Costello was appointed Director of Athletics by Delaware State University President Allen L. Sessoms in July 2007. Costello immediately began strengthening all aspects of DSU athletics, starting with academic services for all student-athletes.
Using the motto "Students First-Athletes Second," Costello has directed new resources and services to allow student-athletes to succeed in the classroom. Working with the university’s Division of Libraries and the athletics department academic support staff, he launched a new Student-Athlete Academic Enrichment Center, slated to open this fall.
Under Costello’s leadership, DSU Athletics has embarked on a commitment to both academic and athletic excellence. Academically, the Hornets have achieved an all-time high 82 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) scholar-athletes (first in the MEAC) with the graduation rate continuing to increase, reaching an all-time high during the 2007-08 academic year. This excellence has also been quite evident on the fields and courts.
The 2007 Hornet football team won a school record 10 games (10-2), captured the school’s first MEAC championship since 1991 and appeared in the NCAA playoffs for the first time in team history. Appearing on ESPN and ESPN’s Outside the Lines in 2007, the Hornet’s popularity under Costello has led to a school-record three nationally-televised games in 2008. The 2007-08 DSU Bowling team was ranked as high as eighth in the National Tenpin Coaches Association monthly poll, and was second to 2008 National Champion Maryland-Eastern Shore in this year’s MEAC Tournament, its best finish in team history. Last year the Hornets notched a school-record 84 wins.
The 2007-08 Delaware State Equestrian team was selected to compete in the 2008 Varsity Equestrian National Championship in just it second year of existence. The Hornets were ranked 10th out of 12 teams in the Hunt Seat (English) tournament.
The 2008 DSU Softball Team (29-25) earned its first-ever MEAC Championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament, completing a four-game sweep in the conference tournament and earning the league’s automatic bid.
Since his arrival at Delaware State, Costello helped oversee the completion of Delaware State’s new state-of-the-art Strength & Conditioning Center for student-athletes. The 17,000 square feet facility marks the first phase of DSU’s $50 million Building Champions Campaign.
In addition, Costello has worked to promote Hornet pride throughout the state. This includes visits to schools, business gatherings and other community events to share the story of DSU athletics. At the same time, Costello has encouraged all Delaware State student-athletes and teams engage the community through public service projects, ranging from reading and mentoring programs to building playgrounds.
In February of 2008, Costello was inducted as an Honorary Commander of the 512th Military Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force during a ceremony at the base. Since his military appointment, Costello has worked to maintain good relations between the university and the base. Delaware State’s 2007 football opener against Coastal Carolina and a home basketball contest were designated Military Appreciation Day, and attended by Dover Air Force Base leaders.
Prior to accepting the DSU post, Costello served as an associate athletics director at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla., for four years. While at South Florida, Costello was the Big East Conference school’s first Chief Financial Officer/Associate Athletic Director. His responsibilities included leadership and administrative oversight for the strategic and fiscal management of Bulls athletics. Costello managed USF’s $32 million athletic budget, in addition to supervising finance, human resources, facilities, information technology and ticket operations.
Under Costello’s leadership, South Florida’s athletic department operated under a balanced budget in each of his four years. Also, he successfully negotiated agreements with the Big East Conference, International Sports Properties, Tampa Sports Authority, Golf Strategies, Ticketmaster, XOS Technologies and Action Sports. In addition, Costello oversaw the completion of the $18 million USF Athletics training Center.
Costello chaired the committees that directed South Florida’s appearance in the 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, NC, the first bowl contest in school history. He served in a similar capacity prior to the Bulls’ appearance in the 2006 Papa John’s Bowl in Birmingham, AL. His responsibilities also included supervision of USF men’s and women’s golf, along with men’s and women’s tennis. The women’s tennis team became the first team at USF to win a Big East title, capturing the 2007 crown.
From 2001 to 2003, Costello was athletic director for business operations at San Jose State University in San Jose, California. The previous four years, he was a senior budget analyst at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. His tenure at Lehigh began in 1991 with a three-year stint as a men’s basketball assistant coach.
A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Costello earned a bachelor’s in accounting (cum laude) from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania and a MBA in business administration from Lehigh. He and wife Amy have three children-Kelsea, 10, Lauren, 7, and Ryan, 5.
