L. Theo Bellmont ((1881-09-24)September 24, 1881 –(1967-12-27)December 27, 1967) was anAthletic Director, Professor and Director of Physical Training, and men'sbasketball head coach atThe University of Texas at Austin.

Bellmont was born inRochester, New York. He attended schools in Rochester before studying at theUniversity of Tennessee, where he earned hisLL.B. degree in 1908. From 1908 until 1913 he was secretary of theYMCA inHouston, Texas.^[1]

In 1913, the UTboard of regents hired Bellmont as the university's first director of athletics, a position that included supervision ofintercollegiate athletics, physical training, andintramural sports.^[1][2] His decisions as an athletic director would have wide-ranging implications for the development of intercollegiate athletics at the university and throughout thestate of Texas. Bellmont took charge of a Texas athletics program in debt and had the program producing a profit within three years of his hiring. Seeing a need for the larger colleges and universities of the region to organize to further the interests and development of college athletics, he originated and developed the idea of theSouthwest Conference and chaired organizational meetings of various colleges and universities in Texas,Oklahoma, andArkansas until the conference came into existence in 1915. As UT athletic director, Bellmont co-founded theTexas Relays withClyde Littlefield in 1925; began the tradition of playing the annualTexas-Oklahoma football game in theCotton Bowl at theState Fair of Texas; founded the UT Intramural Sports program; introduced the idea of a prepayment plan for UT athletics, securing a stable annual income for the athletics program; and designed and implemented the funding program forMemorial Stadium, which was built in 1924.^[1][2][3][4]

While athletic director, Bellmont coached theTexas men's basketball team for two two-year periods (1914–15 and 1921–22), finishing with an overall record of 58-9. He directed the Longhorns to 11-0 and 14-0 records in the1914 and 1915 seasons, respectively, as well as the inauguralSouthwest Conference championship during the latter season. Bellmont's first two teams contributed 25 victories to a winning streak that would ultimately grow to 44 games and stand as theNCAA record for consecutive wins in men's basketball for almost 40 years. He led his1921 and 1922 teams to win–loss records of 13-5 and 20-4, respectively, the latter record representing the Longhorns' first 20-win season.^[5][6]

Bellmont was dismissed as the UT Director of Athletics in 1929, having been undermined by a protracted power struggle following the controversial firing of popular football and basketball head coachE. J. "Doc" Stewart in 1927.^[4][5][7] He nevertheless continued on as Professor and then Director of Physical Training at UT, retiring as professor and director emeritus in 1957.^[1][4]

Bellmont was named to the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1957. Bellmont Hall on The University of Texas campus, built in 1972 within the support structure of Texas Memorial Stadium's west side upper deck, was named in his honor.^[1][2]

• 1881 births
• 1967 deaths
• Basketball coaches from New York (state)
• Texas Longhorns athletic directors
• Texas Longhorns men's basketball coaches
• Sportspeople from Rochester, New York

• Use mdy dates from June 2025