The Nebraska Cornhuskers have already found their next athletic director. This morning, Nebraska’s Interim President Chris Kabourek announced that Troy Dannen will be coming to Lincoln after a short stint with the University of Washington. Dannen will replace Trev Alberts who left for Texas A&M last week.
“From my first conversation with Troy Dannen, I knew he was a perfect fit for Nebraska,” 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.”
The Huskers are looking to sign Dannen to a six-year deal. He brings experience and a resume of success, highlighted on the football field.
While at Tulane, Dannen helped their football program grow to consistent winner. The Green Wave has gone 23-5 the past two years, including a victory over USC in the 2023 Cotton Bowl. He also was able to build a relationship with Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule, who was at fellow American Athletic Conference member Temple from 2013 to 2016.
Coach Rhule said: “I’m so fired up about this hire. 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!
In addition to the turnaround he oversaw at Tulane, Dannen is also in his fourth year as chair of the NCAA Football Competition Committee and as an Executive Committee member of the Football Oversight Committee.
Dannen said, “Joining the Nebraska family is truly an honor. 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.”
Nebraska also receives an AD with midwestern ties. Dannen is a Northern Iowa alumnus and was the UNI athletic director there from 2008-2015 before moving on to Tulane.
A press conference to formally introduce Dannen as the new athletic director will be held early next week.
