Nebraska Names Troy Dannen as New Athletic Director

(Lincoln, NE) – Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek announced that Troy Dannen will be Nebraska’s new Athletic Director, effective on Friday. Dannen was serving as the Director of Athletics at the University of Washington, a position that he started in 2023.

This news comes after former Athletic Director Trev Alberts left Nebraska for Texas A&M last week. Before his time at Washington, he was at the University of Northern Iowa, his alma mater. The Marshalltown, Iowa native is also in his fourth year as the chair of the NCAA Football Competition Committee and is the Executive Committee member of the Football Oversight Committee. He came to Washington after spending time as the Athletic Director at Tulane since 2015.

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.”

Nebraska’s new athletic director was named a finalist for Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year award. He also received the Distinguished American Award from the Sugar Bowl Chapter of the National Football Foundation. Dannen was an innovator in the fundraising efforts for Tulane, increasing the Green Wave Club Annual Fund by over 40% in terms of donors and 45% in dollars.