By Rock Westfall
One week after losing athletic director Trev Alberts to Texas A&M , Nebraska hired Troy Dannen . Dannen arrives after serving six months as the University of Washington’s AD . He is best known for his exemplary performance as athletic director at Tulane, where he led a football renaissance.
Matt Issues Rhule – “Exactly the Right Person”
Perhaps the most excited person in Nebraska is head football coach Matt Rhule . In fact, Rhule said that Nebraska hired “exactly the right person.”
"I'm so fired up about this hire," said Rhule in a statement. "(Nebraska) 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!"
There is plenty of rationale for his reaction.
First and foremost, Dannen has a resume of impactful football success. At Tulane, Dannen inherited one of the worst football programs in the country. Shortly after his arrival, Dannen hired Wille Fritz as the new head coach of the Green Wave.
The program that Dannon and Fritz built went to five bowls in six years. Conisder that Tulane went to one bowl in its previous 15 seasons. The Green Wave reached its peak in 2022 when it made the Cotton Bowl and defeated USC to finish 12-2 and ranked 9 th in the final AP poll.
Dannon took over at Washington last summer and was the AD for the program as it made the national championship game. Although Dannon was not part of the original leadership team that built the program, he demonstrated his worth after the campaign.
Washington coach Kalen DeBoer left Washington for the Alabama Crimson Tide after the national title game. But Dannon wasted no time hiring Jedd Fisch , who went from 1-11 to 10-3 in his three years as HC of Arizona. It was a masterful improvisation by Dannon as he quickly put out the fire to get one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country.
Nebraska has a man with impeccable football credentials. Dannen and Rhule worked together in the American Athletic Conference, when Rhule was the head coach at Temple as Dannon headed Tulane’s athletic department. Thus, the ice has already been broken, and the tandem can hit the ground running.
Troy Dannon and Nebraska – The Deeper Meaning
Troy Dannon grew up in the neighboring state of Iowa and attended the University of Northern Iowa. Dannen began his administrative career as the UNI AD, where he served from 2008 to 2015.
Dannen had important qualities that Nebraska was looking for, including the fact that he is from Iowa and understands the values of Nebraska and the Big Ten. While he was AD at Washington, a significant part of Dannen’s responsibilities was transitioning the program from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.
One week ago, Nebraska looked chaotic and lacking leadership. It was labeled as a place that quality people would have no interest in. Instead, Nebraska lured a proven football-first athletic director from a Superpower Two Big Ten rival whose program went to the national championship game less than three months ago. Dannen brings immediate gravitas and ties to the area.
In related news, the Board of Regents named University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Dr. Jeffrey Gold its top pick for president. Nebraska lost its Association of American Universities membership because of its hospital situation, and Gold will no doubt have the expertise and credibility to resolve that issue.
Nebraska is the only Big Ten school not in the AAU, and there are concerns that this situation could be a problem in the sport's continuing realignment. Gold can fix that.
In one week, Nebraska has answered Governor Jim Pillen 's call to get its act together. Husker fans and college football observers are suddenly reminded that Nebraska remains one of the most appealing jobs and locations in the country.
These announcements show a TOTAL turnaround and restoration of credibility for Nebraska.
Matt Rhule - More Catholic Than the Pope
On Monday, Matt Rhule held his first press conference since the departure of Alberts. It was a virtuoso performance and an example of crisis management.
From the moment that Alberts bailed, Rhule took control of a ship in a hurricane and steered it home safely. On the night that Alberts quit, Rhule, on a golfing vacation in Scotland, directed his staff to produce a video based on the “ So God Made a Farmer ” poem. His stock has never been higher.
Through it all, Rhule has shown his heartfelt love for the state and the university. He stated his son will attend the university next year. Rhule’s wife is soon opening a business in downtown Lincoln.
Since his arrival, Matt Rhule, the New Yorker, has demonstrated the enthusiasm of the convert. He is more Nebraskan than many natives.
Certainly, there is much to do, starting with the renovation of Memorial Stadium. Dannon has the instant credibility to jump-start that project. The Nebraska faithful know they have a top-tier AD. And the state is feeling the momentum of a quick leadership transformation that will be a boon to fundraising.
In one week Nebraska has gone from the outhouse to the penthouse.
It just goes to show that there is still no place like Nebraska .
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