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Pete Thamel: Washington finalizing six-year deal to hire Washington State AD Pat Chun to same role

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•03/26/24•

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The University of Washington is set to hire Washington State athletic director Pat Chun to the same role, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed the move.

“Sources: The University of Washington is finalizing a six-year deal to hire Pat Chun, the athletic director at rival Washington State, as the school’s new athletic director,” Thamel wrote on Twitter. “He’s been the AD at Washington State since 2018 and also worked as FAU’s athletic director.”

The six-year deal is expected to be finalized and it’s ahead of Washington joining the Big Ten beginning in the 2024-25 season.

Chun was the first Asian American athletic director at a Power Five school. Now, he’ll take over a Big Ten program once he’s formally announced.

Chun began at Ohio State as an intern in the sports information department. He remained at the school for 15 years before leaving for Florida Atlantic as the new athletic director in 2012.

Following over five years with the Owls, Chun left to take the job at Washington State. Chun had reportedly signed a contract extension through 2026 just three years ago, but plans changed.

Chun is the replacement for Troy Dannen, the former athletic director who took the AD job at Nebraska. Dannen took over for Trev Alberts, who left for Texas A&M.

“Joining the Nebraska family is truly an honor,” Dannen said in the release. “My family and I are humbled by the opportunity to be part of such a proud athletics program, institution, community and state. 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.”

Dannen, prior to joining the Cornhuskers athletic department, had been the AD at Washington for a matter of months. He had been hired there from Tulane in late 2023 after a successful multi-year run in New Orleans.