Nebraska names Dennis Leblanc interim A.D.
Dennis Leblanc, a trusted staple of Nebraska’s athletic department for four decades, has a new title.
University of Nebraska interim president Chris Kabourek announced Thursday that he has appointed Leblanc, NU executive associate AD for academics, to serve as interim athletic director.
Leblanc has been with Nebraska athletics for more than 40 years, having joined in 1983 as a member of the track and field staff. He has served in his current role since 2015. Under his leadership, Nebraska has achieved a record-high 95 percent Graduation Success Rate, ranking Nebraska second among 110 public FBS schools. NU student-athletes’ cumulative 3.370 GPA last spring was the highest ever recorded.
Nearly 4,000 Husker student-athletes have earned their degrees during Leblanc’s tenure.
“Dennis loves Nebraska, he cares deeply about the young women and men in our program, and he has a proven record of supporting their academic success,” Kabourek said in a news release. “Dennis and I are completely aligned on our vision for Nebraska to compete at the highest levels on the field, on the court and in the classroom. He will provide exactly the steady hand and trusted voice that we need during this interim period.”
Leblanc says Kabourek has ‘an exciting vision’
Leblanc said he’s honored and grateful that Kabourek entrusted him with the role.
“He has an exciting vision for excellence at our University and I will do everything I can to help move that vision forward,” Leblanc said. “Serving our student-athletes and all of Husker Nation is the privilege of a lifetime, one I will never take for granted. My pledge to Nebraskans is that I will work hard each and every day to help Husker Athletics be the best it can possibly be.”
Kabourek said he is initiating a national search for a permanent AD. He said he has no predetermined timeline for selecting the right person to lead Husker Athletics forward.
