Troy Dannen reacts to Pat Chun getting Washington AD job

Troy Dannen is very thrilled about Pat Chun getting the new Washington athletic director job. Chun came over from Washington State after Dannen left for Nebraska.

Chun will sign a six-year deal with his new school. But it’s one Dannen knows will be in good hands with Chun leading the charge in the athletic department.

Dannen has a big challenge ahead of him at Nebraska but knows his former school will do well.

“Pat’s great,” Dannen said. “I’m thrilled that happened because Washington deserves something really, really good. Someone really, really good and Pat is that guy. Pat knows the landscape. Thrilled for him.”

What’s interesting is Chun and Dannen were fellow Pac-12 ADs. Now with Washington in the Big Ten, the two will see each other more as fellow conference ADs in one of the premier groups of schools in the country.

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 Dannen. 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.