The University of Northern Iowa has recently contracted with the Collegiate Sports Associates out of North Carolina to assist in the search for a new athletic director, according to a press release issued to the Northern Iowan.

UNI’s previous athletic director, Troy Dannen, officially left UNI on Dec. 31, 2015. He accepted the position as athletic director for Tulane University in New Orleans As of now, Jean Berger will serve as UNI’s interim director of athletics, until a new athletic director is chosen for the full-time position.

To help with this search is Collegiate Sports Associates founder and president Todd Turner, who has worked as an athletic director at many other universities.

Michael Hager, senior vice president for finance and operations and chair of the search committee at UNI, epressed his excitement for this future collaboration.

“I am pleased to have Todd’s depth and breadth of experience in helping UNI search for the next director of athletics,” Hager said. “Todd understands the important role of academics in the lives of our student athletes.”

Turner has held the position of athletic director at the University of Connecticut, North Carolina State University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Washington.

President Bill Ruud issued a statement of appreciation of Dannen’s work at UNI.

“Troy has really taken UNI’s athletic program to a new level,” Ruud said. “He has done a great deal to enhance athletics at UNI, from improving our facilities to increasing the number of scholarships for student athletes. We are grateful for Troy’s leadership and support, and we wish him and his family the best at Tulane.”

Dannen had served as UNI’s director of athletics for eight years and was active not only in athletics but also throughout academics, fundraising, business operations and marketing. Also in that time, he was honored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics as Under Armour AD of the year in 2014.

“The opportunity to serve my alma mater in this position for the last eight years has been a dream,” Dannen said. “President Allen, and now President Ruud have given me the opportunity to lead an outstanding group of coaches and student athletes and work alongside a fantastic staff. It is an opportunity I will always cherish.”

Dannen also wishes nothing but the best for the future of Northern Iowa athletics.

“As accomplished as Northern Iowa has been competitively, academically, socially and fiscally,” said Dannen, “I’m confident the best is yet to come for Panther Nation.”