Nebraska names Washington's Troy Dannen as next athletic director
Nebraska has wasted no time turning the page from athletic director Trev Alberts.
On Wednesday, the University announced that Washington’s Troy Dannen will be its next athletic director.
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“From my first conversation with Troy Dannen, I knew he was a perfect fit for Nebraska,” interim university president Chris Kabourek said. “He is a fierce competitor, he holds himself and his programs to uncommonly high standards, and he cares personally about the success of student-athletes in sports, school and life. Troy sees the vision and momentum we have here at Nebraska, from our bold investments in facilities to our record success in the classroom to our bold plan to elevate our national reputation and competitiveness, and he is excited to be a part of it. I am thrilled that we’ve found someone who is 100% aligned with our high expectations and will be all-in on Nebraska.
“Husker Nation, we’ve found a winner in Troy Dannen. I can’t wait to welcome him and his family to Nebraska.”
A native of Marshalltown, Iowa, Dannen was in Seattle for just one season, and before that he was the athletic director at Tulane (2015-2023) and Northern Iowa (2008-2015).
This news comes a week after Alberts announced he was leaving Nebraska for Texas A&M and two days before both the NU men’s and women’s basketball teams play the Aggies in the NCAA Tournament.
“Joining the Nebraska family is truly an honor,” Dannen said in a statement. “My family and I are humbled by the opportunity to be part of such a proud athletics program, institution, community and state. Growing up in Iowa, I watched a lot of Nebraska football on Saturdays with my family. I’ve spent a lot of time in the state and I’ve found that we share a similar approach to life, work and sports: Work hard, stay humble, compete and expect to win.
“There is a storied tradition at Nebraska, but more work to be done. I truly believe our best years are ahead of us. I couldn’t be more grateful to Interim President Chris Kabourek for this opportunity. Chris has championed an inspiring vision for excellence across the University of Nebraska and he and I are completely aligned on where Nebraska needs to go in the future. I look forward to doing my part to helping Nebraska win championships across the board, graduate our student-athletes and elevate the world-class reputation of the University of Nebraska. I can’t wait to arrive in Nebraska and get to work.”
Dannen was in Seattle as the Huskies faced Michigan in the College Football Playoff Championship Game, and he lost head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama. He oversaw the coaching search that brought Jedd Fisch from Arizona to replace DeBoer.
Dannen hire made without a permanent president in place
The Nebraska Board of Regents met on Wednesday in a closed session. Heading into Wednesday, the board had been undecided on naming its next president.
After deliberating for several hours, the board announced that it is set to name UNMC chancellor Dr. Jeff Gold its next president.
The hire of Dannen was made before the announcement of Gold, but clearly, all parties involved are on the same page.
Head football coach Matt Rhule gave Dannen a strong endorsement.
“I’m so fired up about this hire,” Rhule said. “Interim President Kabourek has found exactly the right person to lead the Huskers forward. Troy sees what we see – that Nebraska is a special place, with special people, a great vision and the courage to be unabashed about wanting to win across the board. The fact that someone of Troy’s caliber wants to join Team Nebraska will light a fire across our entire department. Let’s go!”
Dannen seems to be the “fit” Nebraska’s leadership was looking for, given his strong ties and connections to the Midwest and his experience as an experienced Division I athletic director since 2008.
A year ago, Dannen signed a contract at Washington that paid him $1 million annually, increasing yearly by 2 percent or the average percentage raise received by university employees.
Alberts signed an eight-year contract in November at Nebraska that would increase his salary from $853,882 to $1.7 million, making him one of the highest-paid athletic directors in Division I. Alberts’s pay would increase to $2.1 million by 2026, and he would receive a $3 million completion bonus if he stayed at NU for the length of the contract.
Since Alberts broke his contract agreement to leave for Texas A&M, he now owes $4.12 million in damages because he resigned before the end of the year.
