Dannen is Formally Introduced as Nebraska’s New Athletic Director

LINCOLN–(KFOR Mar. 26)–Troy Dannen on Tuesday afternoon was officially introduced as Nebraska’s athletic director, coming to Lincoln with 17 years experience of athletic administration under his belt.

“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime for all of us, everyone in my family,” Dannen said in his opening remarks on Level 3 of West Stadium.

He also mentioned a conversation he had with Governor Jim Pillen, a former Husker football standout who also previously served on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

“I think what the Governor did, just like what he did today, was affirmed to me why this job and this place was going to mean so much,” Dannen said.  “Everything is about people. Everything is about relationships. I thought I knew then when I got off the phone with the governor, I was like ‘Yeah, that’s it.’ He sold me.”

Dannen said he hopes in the upcoming weeks to further learn and understand the culture, history and philosophy of the University of Nebraska.

“One of the most important things for me is how to understand the culture, understand how we got here,” Dannen said. “And I’ll sit down face to face with coaches as soon as we can get it on the calendar. I want to understand the history, I want to understand the culture, I want to understand the philosophy of how we built and what we built here.”

During his short tenure as athletic director at the University of Washington, Dannen hired Jedd Fisch from Arizona to lead the University’s football program after the departure of Kalen DeBoer for Alabama. He also fired men’s basketball coach Mike Hopkins.  Dannen was at Washington for less than six months. He came to Washington in October 2023 after serving as Director of Athletics at Tulane University (2015-2023) and his alma mater, University of Northern Iowa, (2008-2015).

Originally from Marshalltown, Iowa, Dannen graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Communications.