Nebraska names Dennis Leblanc as interim athletics director after Trev Alberts departure

Nebraska has named executive associate AD for academics Dennis Leblanc as its interim athletics director, the university announced Thursday. He will fill the void left by Trev Alberts after his departure for Texas A&M.

Nebraska interim president Chris Kabourek announced the news and confirmed the school will go through a national search for Alberts’ permanent replacement.

Kabourek has spent the last 40 years in the Nebraska athletics department, starting out on the track and field staff. He became the executive associate athletics director for academics in 2015.

“I’m honored and grateful that President Kabourek has entrusted me with this role,” Leblanc said in a statement. “He has an exciting vision for excellence at our University and I will do everything I can to help move that vision forward.

“Serving our student-athletes and all of Husker Nation is the privilege of a lifetime, one I will never take for granted. My pledge to Nebraskans is that I will work hard each and every day to help Husker Athletics be the best it can possibly be.”

Alberts played football at Nebraska and was one of the best linebackers in the country during his time at Nebraska. He won the Butkus Award following the 1993 season and was a consensus All-American. The Huskers also retired his No. 34.

After a short professional career and a stint in media, Alberts got into administration and was hired by Omaha in 2009. He stayed for over a decade until he earned the Nebraska job, joining the Huskers in 2021. He’ll now head to Texas A&M to replace Ross Bjork, who left to replace Gene Smith at Ohio State, and confirmed the decision in an email to staffers.

Alberts’ departure ruffled some feathers, though – notably in the Nebraska governor’s office. Governor Jim Pillen released a statement criticizing the university and the lead-up to Alberts’ decision to leave.

“I am deeply disappointed by Trev Alberts’ decision to leave so soon after restating his commitment to Nebraska and I don’t fully understand or know his reasons why,” Pillen wrote. “I do know that the time for reflecting on the failures of University leadership, which led to his decision, must come later. Now is the time to act.

“This morning, I am issuing a call to action to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. It has been 206 days since Ted Carter announced his departure as president. It is unacceptable that the University’s elected leaders have failed failed during this time to appoint permanent leadership. It is imperative that they act urgently and decisively to end this uncertainty. Without any delay, they should support Interim President Chris Kabourek’s efforts to immediately appoint a new permanent athletic director.”