Athletic Director of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Incumbent
Troy Dannen
since March 2024
Reports toPresident of the University of Nebraska
Formation1920
First holderFred Luehring

This is a list of athletic directors of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Division I. Troy Dannen was appointed Nebraska's seventeenth full-time athletic director in March 2024 after the departure of Trev Alberts.[1]

In its earliest days, the Nebraska Department of Athletics had no central figure serving as the head of the department or "athletic director", and the history of how this position developed is unclear. Early on, the head of the athletics department often had only a partial or part-time role and held other titles and responsibilities. The Athletics Department was governed by the "Athletic Board", composed of faculty members and other university officials. Sometimes, the person serving as the effective head of the Athletics Department served on this board and other times he did not. The first six heads of the Athletics Department held the title "Athletics Manager," first held by Raymond G. Clapp, NU's basketball coach and a professor of physical education.[2] The first individual to hold the title "athletic director" was E. J. Stewart, who served from 1916 to 1919, while also coaching men's basketball and football during parts of his tenure.[3] However, he is not considered Nebraska's first athletic director because it was not considered a full-time administrative position by the board of regents; this designation belongs to Fred Luehring, who held the position from 1920 to 1922.[4]

Many of Nebraska's athletic directors simultaneously coached one of the university's teams. These included basketball, baseball, and swimming, but the majority of dual-role administrators were football coaches: Stewart, Fred Dawson, Dana X. Bible, Biff Jones, Glenn Presnell, Adolph J. Lewandowski, George Clark, and Bob Devaney. NU's longest-serving athletic director was Devaney, who led the department from 1967 to 1992.

List of part-time athletic managers

No. Athletic manager Tenure Other notable positions held at Nebraska
1 Raymond G. Clapp 1902–05 Head men's basketball coach (1903–09)[5]
2 Earl Eager 1905–11
Ewald O. Stiehm[a] 1911–15 Head football coach (1911–15); head men's basketball coach (1911–15)
3 Guy Reed 1914–18
4 E. J. Stewart[b] 1916–19 Head football coach (1916–17); head men's basketball coach (1916–19)
5 Robert Scott 1919 President of the athletic board[6]
James T. Lees[7] 1919–20

List of athletic directors

No. Athletic director Tenure Other notable positions held at Nebraska
1 Fred Luehring[c] 1920–22 Head swimming coach (1921–22)
2 Fred Dawson 1922–25 Head football coach (1921–24)
3 Herbert D. Gish 1928–32[d] Assistant athletic director (1923–25)[4]
4 Dana X. Bible 1932–36 Head football coach (1929–36)
5 Biff Jones 1937–42[e] Head football coach (1937–41)
6 Adolph J. Lewandowski 1942–47[f] Head football coach (1943–44); head men's basketball coach (1940–45); head baseball coach (1942)[8]
7 George Clark 1948–53 Head football coach (1945, 1948)
8 Bill Orwig 1954–61[g]
9 Tippy Dye 1962–67
10 Bob Devaney 1967–92 Head football coach (1962–72); athletic director emeritus (1992–96)[12]
11 Bill Byrne 1992–2002[h]
12 Steve Pederson 2003–07 Associate athletic director for football operations (1994–96)[15]
13 Tom Osborne[16][17] 2007–13[i] Head football coach (1973–97); assistant athletic director (1979–98)
14 Shawn Eichorst 2013–17[j]
15 Bill Moos 2017–21[k]
16 Trev Alberts[20] 2021–24[l]
17 Troy Dannen 2024–present

Notes

  1. ^ Although Stiehm was never recorded to have held the title of "athletic manager" or "athletic director", in the years 1912 and 1913, the Cornhusker yearbook lists no head of the athletic department, while Stiehm, as the "all-year coach", seemed to be the de facto head of the department.
  2. ^ Stewart was the first individual to hold the title "athletic director," but the university does not consider him the first athletic director because it was not a full-time administrative position
  3. ^ Luehring was the first head of the Athletics Department to have a "full-time" position as designated by the Board of Regents
  4. ^ Gish initially served as interim athletic director from 1925 to 1928 following Jones' departure before accepting the full-time position
  5. ^ Head football coach Glenn Presnell served as interim athletic director following Jones' departure to serve in World War II
  6. ^ Lewandowski served as interim athletic director following George Clark's retirement in 1953
  7. ^ Dean of the College of Business Administration Charles Miller and university comptroller Joseph Soshnik served as co-interim athletic directors following Orwig's departure[9][10][11]
  8. ^ Senior associate athletic director for external operations Joe Selig served as interim athletic director following Byrne's departure[13][14]
  9. ^ Osborne initially served as interim athletic director following Pederson's firing before accepting the full-time position
  10. ^ Dave Rimington served as interim athletic director following Eichorst's firing[18]
  11. ^ Senior deputy athletic director for external relations Garrett Klassy served as interim athletic director following Moos' retirement[19]
  12. ^ Dennis Leblanc, the executive associate athletic director for academics, served as interim athletic director following Alberts' departure.[21][22]

References

  1. ^ "Nebraska names University of Washington's Troy Dannen as new athletic director". 10/11 News. March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ Leon Nyberg (June 20, 1961). "NU History Boasts 15 Athletic Directors". Daily Nebraskan. Nebraska Newspapers. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  3. ^ "1919 Cornhusker, University of Nebraska Yearbook". Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. p. 252. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "1926 Cornhusker, University of Nebraska Yearbook". Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. p. 437. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  5. ^ "1906 Sombrero, University of Nebraska Yearbook". Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. p. 17. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  6. ^ "1919 Cornhusker, University of Nebraska Yearbook". Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. p. 268. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  7. ^ Ward W. Briggs, Jr. "LEES, James Thomas". Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  8. ^ "Potsy Clark New Director of Athletics". Daily Nebraskan. Nebraska Newspapers. Mar 9, 1948. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "1961 Cornhusker, University of Nebraska Yearbook". Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. p. 71. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  10. ^ "1961 Cornhusker, University of Nebraska Yearbook". Archives and Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. p. 24. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  11. ^ "Joseph Soshnik". Office of the Chancellor, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  12. ^ NU Athletic Communications (July 1, 2007). "Hall of Fame Coach Bob Devaney". University of Nebraska Athletics. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  13. ^ Robin Washut (Dec 13, 2002). "Perlman names interim athletic director". Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  14. ^ Vince Kuppig (Dec 4, 2002). "Byrne says goodbye to Cornhusker State with no regrets". Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  15. ^ "Huskers hire Steve Pederson". McCook Daily Gazette. April 14, 1994. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  16. ^ Johnny Perez (Oct 17, 2007). "Osborne fills position as interim athletic director". Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  17. ^ "Osborne accepts AD position". Daily Nebraskan. Dec 19, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  18. ^ Grace Harmon (Sep 26, 2017). "Former Husker football star Dave Rimington hired as interim athletic director". Daily Nebraskan. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  19. ^ "Bill Moos out as University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Director". KETV. June 25, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  20. ^ Sam McKewon (July 14, 2021). "Nebraska hires UNO A.D., ex-Husker Trev Alberts as athletic director". Omaha World Herald. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  21. ^ McKewon, Sam (March 13, 2024). "'Not ideal': Nebraska Athletic Director Trev Alberts leaving for Texas A&M". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  22. ^ Dunker, Chris (March 14, 2024). "Kabourek taps Leblanc as interim Nebraska AD following Alberts'departure". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
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