Nebraska names Leblanc interim AD after Alberts exit

University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek named Dennis Leblanc interim AD on Thursday, roughly 24 hours after Trev Alberts announced his departure to Texas A&M University.

“Dennis loves Nebraska, he cares deeply about the young women and men in our program, and he has a proven record of supporting their academic success,” Kabourek said in a news release.

Leblanc currently serves as the executive associate athletic director for academics, a position he has held since 2015.

He joined Nebraska Athletics in 1983 as a member of the track and field staff before transitioning to the academic program in 1993 and also serves as a sport administrator for the football program.

Leblanc earned a bachelor’s degree from Bethany College and a master’s degree from Wichita State University.

“I’m honored and grateful that President Kabourek has entrusted me with this role,” Leblanc said. “He has an exciting vision for excellence at our university and I will do everything I can to help move that vision forward.”

Under Leblanc’s leadership, nearly 4,000 Husker student-athletes have graduated, marking a 95% graduation success rate. That figure puts the University of Nebraska-Lincoln second in the country among 110 public Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

Husker athletes also achieved a cumulative 3.370 GPA last spring — the highest in school history.

Kabourek said he and Leblanc “are completely aligned” on their vision for Nebraska to compete at the highest levels both on the field and court as well as in the classroom.

“He will provide exactly the steady hand and trusted voice that we need during this interim period,” Kabourek said. “I am so grateful to Dennis and (his wife) Coreen for answering this call to serve and I know Husker Athletics will be in exceptionally capable hands under his leadership.”

Leblanc called serving Husker student-athletes “the privilege of a lifetime.”

“My pledge to Nebraska is that I will work hard each and every day to help Husker Athletics be the best it can possibly be,” he said.

The change in leadership at the Memorial Stadium office comes one day after Alberts made the surprise announcement that he planned to leave his alma mater.

Alberts, a former Husker linebacker and athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for 12 years, told Nebraska Athletics’ staff in an email he would take over the athletic department at Texas A&M on Friday.

His abrupt departure comes roughly a week after the university in College Station, Texas, reached out to Alberts. He reportedly met with university leaders in person last weekend as NU sought to convince him to stay.

Kabourek told the Journal Star earlier this week he had spoken with several potential candidates to serve in the interim role, adding he kept a list of people “if it comes to days like this.”

On Thursday, Kabourek, who before becoming interim president was NU’s vice president for business and finance, said he plans to launch a national search for a permanent athletic director.

No timetable for the search has been set. Kabourek said he intends to find the right person to lead Husker Athletics forward.

This is a developing story. Stay with journalstar.com for the latest.