Troy Dannen’s stay at Washington was brief.
Dannen, who took over as the athletic director in Seattle on Oct. 9, was hired Wednesday to the same role at Nebraska.
He replaces Trev Alberts, a Nebraska alum hired last week as athletic director at Texas A&M.
Dannen ran the athletic department at Tulane for eight years before taking the job with the Huskies.
Dannen is from traditional Big Ten country — he grew up on a farm outside Marshallton, Iowa — and is returning to his roots. A graduate of Northern Iowa, he was the athletic director at his alma mater for seven years before going to Tulane.
“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,” he said in a Nebraska news release. “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.”
Interim president Chris Kabourek said Dannen was a natural fit.
“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,” Kabourek said. “I am thrilled that we’ve found someone who is 100 percent aligned with our high expectations and will be all-in on Nebraska.”
At Washington, Dannen hired Jedd Fisch to replace Kalen DeBoer as football coach and gained experience with the Big Ten as the Huskies prepare to transition to their new conference in the fall. He also fired basketball coach Mike Hopkins. Washington’s next athletic director will be the program’s third since August 2023.
