Inside The Huskies

A History of 18 Husky Athletic Directors, Their Pros and Cons

The UW recently has sent a handful of leaders to top schools.

Dan Raley

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The University of Washington has employed 18 different athletic directors over 110 seasons of football, but currently and curiously doesn't have one after Troy Dannen's surprising departure following just five months on the job.

His exit comes just five days after the death of Mike Lude, the Huskies' longest-serving AD, who lasted 15 years before he was forced out by school president William Gerberding — basically because football got too big and successful for the upper-campus leader to handle.

Lude was replaced in 1991, unable to directly share in the UW's coming unbeaten and co-national championship run, by Barbara Hedges, the pioneering first woman to hold the position in Montlake. 

The appointment of Hedges, however, drew raised eyebrows from some in the fan base mainly because she came directly from USC as an assistant athletic director to run the show.

A Trojan guiding Huskies seemed odd, indeed, to many of the donors.

Three decades later, the UW sent a women, Jennifer Cohen, to Los Angeles run the USC athletic department. 

Harvey Cassill quite possibly was the most controversial Husky AD, looking the other way when his donors nonchalantly ran an improper slush fund to pay the players. Once the money pot was revealed to the public by then coach John Cherberg, Cassill wasn't long for his position.

Husky ADs have gone on to do big things, such as Joe Kearney becoming the WAC commissioner for 14 seasons after running the athletic programs at Michigan State and Arizona State.

Currently, Scott Woodward is at LSU, Cohen at USC and Dannen now at Nebraska, with the Huskies proving to be somewhat of a feeder school for athletic administrative leaders.

Dannen is poised to make $1.6 million at Nebraska, a bump from $1 million in Montlake.

While the UW scrambles to find a new sports boss, we revisit the Huskies' previous 18 athletic directors, highlighted by leading accomplishments or major drawbacks, or both.

A HISTORY OF HUSKY ATHLETIC DIRECTORS

J. Arthur Younger (1915-16) — he was the UW's first athletic director, or athletic manager, and oversaw the final two seasons of the unbeatable Gil Dobie as the Husky football coach; also served in World War I and became a California congressman; 

Claude Hunt (1917-18) — he was the Husky football coach on two separate occasions, in 1917 and 1919; was the UW basketball coach during 1917-19, and simultaneously handled the UW athletic manager duties. 

Darwin Meisnest (1919-27) — oversaw the opening of Husky Stadium in 1920; was in charge when the Husky football team appeared in the Rose Bowl for the first times in 1924 and 1926; arranged for the first UW intersectional football games in Seattle against Dartmouth in 1920 and Penn State in 1921 and at Nebraska in 1925.

Earl Campbell (1927-32) — he oversaw the end of Enoch Bagshaw's glorious coaching run at the UW and hired Jimmy Phelan to replace him.

Charles Frankland (1933-35) — he went from Husky track athlete to athletic director to UW board of regents member in 1951-57.

Ray Eckmann (1936-42) — a former UW player and assistant coach, he made the unpopular decision to fire 12-year football coach James Phelan and replace him with Ralph "Pest" Welch.  

Roland Belshaw (1942-43) — led the UW athletic teams into World War II, which included a football appearance in the 1944 Rose Bowl against USC.

Al Ulbrickson (1943-46) — he was the Husky rowing coach for more than three decades, including the 1936 "Boys in the Boat" crew, and served as athletic director when the school canceled nearly every sport during the onset of World War II; he coached the crew teams for another 13 years during peace time.

Harvey Cassill (1946-56) — driving force behind the building of the Husky Stadium south deck; forced out following the reveal of a player slush fund; in charge during UW basketball's only Final Four appearance in 1953. 

George Briggs (1956-59) — brought the Huskies out of a scandalous era that saw the Pacific Coast Conference disbanded; hired Darrell Royal and Jim Owens as football coaches. 

Jim Owens (1960-69) — served as UW football coach and AD simultaneously, taking the Huskies to a pair of Rose Bowls during that time; a racial scandal ended his administrative job, forcing him to coach only.

Joe Kearney (1969-76) — hired Don James as football coach and Marv Harshman as basketball coach; later served as Michigan State and Arizona State athletic directors and Western Athletic Conference commissioner.

Mike Lude (1976-91) — became the UW's longest-serving AD; oversaw three Rose Bowl victories and an Orange Bowl win; was driving force behind the construction of the Husky Stadium north deck.

Barbara Hedges (1991-2004) — was in charge when the Husky football team won a co-national championship in 1991; hired Jim Lambight, Rick Neuheisel and Keith Gilbertson as UW football coaches, and Lorenzo Romar as Husky basketball coach. 

Todd Turner (2004-07) — fired Keith Gilbertson and hired Tyrone Willingham as UW football coaches; oversaw UW basketball team twice advance to NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

Scott Woodward (2008-2016) — brought the Huskies back from darkest era of UW football (0-12 in 2008) and fired Tyrone Willingham; driving force behind major Husky Stadium remodel; hired both Steve Sarkisian and Chris Petersen as UW football coaches and oversaw CFP semifinal team; became Texas A&M and LSU athletic directors.   

Jennifer Cohen (2016-23) — hired and fired Jimmy Lake as Husky football coach; hired Kalen DeBoer as UW football coach; fired Lorenzo Romar and hired Mike Hopkins as Husky basketball coaches; current USC athletic director.

Troy Dannen (2023-24) — the Huskies won the final Pac-12 championship game and the Sugar Bowl and played in CFP national championship game on his watch; hired Jedd Fisch as football coach; left to become Nebraska athletic director.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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