Hokie Club
Virginia Tech Athletics has named Chris Ryder its executive associate athletics director for capital projects, facilities and operations, Vice President and Director of Athletics Brian White announced September 15, 2026.
Ryder arrives in Blacksburg after spending nearly seven years at Florida Atlantic, where he most recently served as senior associate athletics director for facilities and event management. As the Hokies’ senior facilities and game operations executive, Ryder will provide strategic leadership and oversight of the department’s capital projects, facilities and operations while serving as a member of the department’s senior leadership team.
Ryder joined FAU in October 2019 as associate athletics director for facilities and event management before being elevated to senior associate athletics director in 2022. During his tenure, he oversaw athletics capital project planning and coordination, daily facility maintenance projects and game management responsibilities. He also served as a member of FAU’s emergency management team.
Prior to his time at Florida Atlantic, Ryder spent more than eight years at Duke, steadily advancing through the Blue Devils’ facilities and game operations department. He was promoted to director of athletic facilities, game operations and championships in July 2018 after previously serving as associate director of athletic facilities and special events and assistant director of athletic facilities, game operations and championships. He began his tenure at Duke as an athletic facilities and game operations assistant in 2011.
At Duke, Ryder was extensively involved in the daily maintenance and operation of the university’s athletics facilities and served as the primary athletics liaison to several campus units, including facilities management, landscape services, sanitation and recycling, and environmental services.
Ryder began his career gaining facilities and game operations experience at High Point and Wake Forest, as well as through operations internships with D.C. United and the Carolina Dynamo. At High Point, he worked with facilities and game operations for the Panthers’ athletics programs from 2005-09, while his experience at Wake Forest included day-to-day game management responsibilities with an emphasis on Olympic sports.
A native of Lynbrook, New York, Ryder earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management with a minor in business administration from High Point in 2009. He later earned a master’s degree from High Point with a concentration in sport studies. He is a member of the Collegiate Event and Facility Management Association and the North American Society for Sport Management.
Ryder and his wife, Ashley, have two daughters, Jocelyn and Violet.