CHICAGO (AP) Jean Lenti Ponsetto, an administrator in DePaul's athletic department the past 20 years, was hired Monday as athletic director.

The 45-year-old Chicago native, has been DePaul's senior associate athletic director the past seven years. In that job, Ponsetto coordinated budgets for the department, which oversees 235 student-athletes in 15 sports. She also conducted the search for new basketball coach Dave Leitao.

Ponsetto replaces Bill Bradshaw, who was hired at Temple last week. She becomes one of only 17 female athletic directors at Division I schools.

"Jean represents the best of DePaul athletics through her long-standing relationship with the university and its values," said James Doyle, vice president for student affairs.

"She has a strong management style guided by vision and decisiveness. She sees the big picture and has a thorough understanding of athletics in the academic environment."

A four-sport athlete at DePaul, Ponsetto was the school's first woman's assistant basketball coach after graduating in 1978. She became an assistant athletic director in 1981 and two years later became associate athletic director. She's been senior associate athletic director since 1990.

From 1992-98, she was a member of the Division I women's basketball committee, which selects teams and oversees the NCAA tournament. She was chair of the committee from 1996-98.

In 1998, Ponsetto was honored as administrator of the year by both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the National Association of Collegiate Women's Athletic Administrators.

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