Tulane hires Northern Iowa's Dannen as new athletic director

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Tulane has named Troy Dannen as the university's new athletics director, luring him away from the same post at Northern Iowa.

The announcement, made Wednesday by Tulane president Michael Fitts, comes as the Green Wave seeks a new football coach to take over for Curtis Johnson, who was fired last weekend following a second straight 3-9 season.

Fitts says Dannen was hired because he has ''demonstrated outstanding leadership and success in every job, at every level,'' and because of ''his dedication to his student-athletes and his goal to win championships in every sport.''

Tulane has recently built a new on-campus football stadium and a new practice center for basketball. The university also has renovated its on-campus basketball stadium in the past couple years.

''They have built a terrific infrastructure,'' Dannen said. ''Now it is time to win.''

Northern Iowa teams have won regularly during Dannen's seven-year tenure at the university.

Football competed in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs four times, including this year. Men's basketball made three NCAA appearances, including the university's first appearance in school history in the third round in 2015.

Northern Iowa officials also have credited Dannen with raising millions of dollars for facility improvements while increasing marketing revenues.

Meanwhile, the graduation rate of student athletes at Northern Iowa has been higher than the student body average. In the previous academic year, five Northern Iowa sports had NCAA Academic Progress Rates that ranked in the top 10 percent nationally.