Washington officially announced Troy Dannen as the program’s next athletic director on Saturday. Dannen comes to Seattle to replace the recently departed Jen Cohen. He most recently spent eight years as the Tulane athletic director, where he oversaw 21 conference championships.

Dannen will begin his duties at UW on Monday, the school said in a release. He will also be officially introduced at a news conference on Tuesday.

“I am so honored to have the opportunity to serve the University of Washington, our students, coaches, staff, faculty, and incredible fans,” Dannen said in a statement. “Throughout this process, the passion, love, and spirit of the UW was evident in every conversation, as was the alignment necessary for comprehensive success. We will compete for championships, and we will provide an unmatched experience for our student-athletes. The future has never been brighter for Husky Athletics, and I am humbled to steward the next chapter in our storied history.”

Dannen has big shoes to fill — Cohen’s hire of head football coach Kalen DeBoer looks like one of the best moves a major football program has made in recent years — but he comes to Montlake with a sparkling résumé.

Last season, Tulane’s football team won its first AAC championship in program history — the program’s second conference championship since 1948. The Green Wave finished the season 12-2 and ranked No. 9 in the country after beating USC in the Cotton Bowl.

The Tulane men’s basketball team also won 20 regular-season games for the first time in more than 20 years.

He is currently in his fourth year as Chair of the NCAA Football Competition Committee and serves on the Executive Committee of the NCAA Football Oversight Committee.

Throughout the process, UW President Ana Mari Cauce made it a point to keep DeBoer involved in the search. With the Huskies moving to the Big Ten in 2024 — a move that will impact all sports but is heavily influenced by football — it was important to make sure everyone within the department was in lockstep with the vision DeBoer has for his program.

The Huskies are 5-0 and ranked No. 7 in the country. Next Saturday, ESPN’s College GameDay will make just its third all-time appearance in Seattle ahead of a top-10 showdown with Oregon. If UW walks away with a win in that game, it could very likely control its destiny in the College Football Playoff race.

UW needs to keep DeBoer happy.

“Troy brings a passion and enthusiasm for college athletics as well as a strong commitment to developing student-athletes,” DeBoer said in a statement. “He is a visionary and proven leader, and has worked diligently to improve the sport of football.  I’m excited to work with Troy and help move the Huskies into the future.”

Cauce consulted with DeBoer, UW faculty regent Alexes Harris, former head football coach Chris Petersen, women’s basketball coach Tina Langley, interim AD Erin O’Connell, and regent David Zeeck.

Dannen graduated from UNI in 1989 with a degree in communications. Prior to his time at Tulane, Dannen served as the UNI AD for seven years. During that time, Northern Iowa reached 15 NCAA tournaments. Dannen was also recognized as the FCS Athletic Director of the Year in 2014. Dannen was a finalist for the Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year award last year as well.