Troy Dannen
In the fall of 2020, Troy Dannen embarks on his fifth full academic year as Tulane University’s Ben Weiner Director of Athletics. Dannen was formally introduced as Tulane’s 33rd Director of Athletics in December 2015, bringing with him a track record of proven success.
Dannen has elevated the profile of Tulane Athletics from local, regional and national standpoints. Over the past four years, Tulane Athletics has seen 27 All-Americans, 74 All-American Athletic Conference recipients, 12 conference champions and Green Wave teams have earned 21 trips to the postseason.
In addition, Dannen served on the Drake Relays Executive Committee and spent 11 years as a collegiate football and basketball official.
He recently began a four-year term on the NCAA Football Oversight Committee. He also currently serves on the NCAA Championship Finance Review Committee. Most recently he served on the Competition Oversight Committee, where he served as the Chair of the Misconduct Committee.
Dannen also has established himself as one of the leading figures among his peers, serving on the LEAD1 Board of Directors as the Chair of the Communications and Advocacy Committee.
As a member of the University’s Presidential Cabinet, Dannen has served on multiple search committees for institutional leadership positions. In his role as The American Athletic Director’s Executive Committee Chair, Dannenplayed a role in assisting the league office secure a landmark television deal with ESPN.
Dannen came to Tulane after serving eight seasons in the same capacity at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) from 2008-15. During Dannen’s tenure, the Panthers enjoyed an incredible run of success at both the conference and national levels, as UNI was recognized with 39 All-Americans, 13 Coaches of the Year and nine Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Players of the Year. UNI football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball and softball combined to reach 14 NCAA tournaments during that stretch.
Dannen is married to Amy, and they have four children: Elle (7), Emily (25), Holly (21) and William (6).
