DeJuena Chizer

DeJuena Chizer is the Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development and Senior Woman Administrator at the University of Houston.

A 24-year veteran with Houston athletics, DeJuena provides direct administrative oversight to four women’s sports programs and is responsible for the overall welfare and development of 450+ Houston student-athletes. She has direct departmental oversight of the Academic Center for Excellence, Student-Athlete Welfare and Development, sports medicine, sports nutrition, career development, and counseling services. She serves as the sports administrator lead, collaborating with each program’s head coach and primary sports administrator. She also serves as the liaison to Title IX and the Dean of Students Offices. Before Chizer moved into her current position, she served eight seasons as a women’s basketball assistant coach (2000-2008). During her stint on the sidelines, she helped lead the Cougars to nearly 150 wins and four appearances in the postseason, including back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005 and consecutive berths in the WNIT in 2000 and 2001.

This year, DeJuena was honored with the 2024 WBCA Administrator of the Year award by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. This award is presented annually to an administrator who has excelled at encouraging the growth and quality of women’s athletics programs. In addition, Chizer served a five-year appointment to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee. Her responsibilities included selections, seeding, and bracketing of the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament.

Before entering the coaching ranks, Chizer was a standout player for the Cougars from 1983-87 and helped Houston earn the first national Top-20 ranking in program history. She remains ranked on Houston’s all-time career lists in points scored, games played, assists per game, steals, free throws made, and free throw attempts. Chizer was also instrumental in the two biggest upsets in program history, leading the Cougars in Houston’s shocking win over No. 3 Louisiana Tech in 1985 and while serving as assistant coach in the team’s victory over the ninth-ranked Lady Techsters in 2000. Before hanging up her basketball shoes, Chizer spent several seasons in Europe playing professionally.

DeJuena maintains the standard of a proud athletic leader and always keeps two priorities in mind when making decisions: the betterment of student-athletes and coaches. She desires to prepare young people for life, helping them navigate the rigors of a Division 1 athletic program, and balancing academics and life while being committed to their growth, development, and success.