Shock waves were sent locally and nationally Wednesday morning when the Houston Chronical reported Trev Alberts was being targeted by Texas A&M to fill its open athletic director role.

By 5 p.m. of that same day, Texas A&M had made the hire of Alberts official. One day later, at 4:59 p.m., Nebraska interim president Chris Kabourek announced Dennis Leblanc will be the Huskers' interim athletic director.

Leblanc is currently the executive associate AD for academics and a respected veteran administrator who's been at Nebraska since his days coaching track in 1983.

“I’m honored and grateful that President Kabourek has entrusted me with this role," Leblanc said in a statement. "He has an exciting vision for excellence at our University and I will do everything I can to help move that vision forward. Serving our student-athletes and all of Husker Nation is the privilege of a lifetime, one I will never take for granted. My pledge to Nebraskans is that I will work hard each and every day to help Husker Athletics be the best it can possibly be.”

Under Leblanc, Nebraska's Graduation Success Rate is 95%, a record high that ranks second among 110 public FBS schools. Last spring, Husker student-athletes had a cumulative GPA of 3.370, the highest ever recorded. Nearly 4,000 Husker student-athletes have earned their degrees during Leblanc’s tenure.

“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. “Dennis and I are completely aligned on our vision for Nebraska to compete at the highest levels on the field, on the court and in the classroom. He will provide exactly the steady hand and trusted voice that we need during this interim period. I am so grateful to Dennis and Coreen for answering this call to serve and I know Husker Athletics will be in exceptionally capable hands under his leadership.”

Kabourek said he is initiating a national search for a permanent AD. He also added there is no predetermined timeline for selecting the right person to lead Husker Athletics forward.

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