SEATTLE — For the second time in less than a year, the University of Washington has a vacancy atop its athletic department.
Jennifer Cohen accepted the same role at the University of Southern California in August 2023, and her replacement Troy Dannen was announced as the new University of Nebraska athletic director on Wednesday.
With the school amid a search for a new head men's basketball coach and continued preparation for the upcoming transition to the Big Ten Conference, UW likely will move quickly in identifying the next person to head up athletics.
This move came as a surprise, given that Dannen was at UW for only about six months. However, ESPN reported Wednesday that Dannen and his wife's entire families are both in Iowa, and this move would get them a lot closer.
Given this unexpected move, not many potential candidates have been floated by insiders and those close to the program. Here are five potential (emphasis on potential) candidates who UW's leadership might target.
Erin O'Connell
This would be the simplest move UW could make, as O'Connell has worked in the athletic department with the Huskies since 2016. She also served as interim athletic director after Cohen left for two months until the school hired Dannen. At his introductory press conference, Dannen heaped praise on O'Connell for her help in steadying the department and helping him hit the ground running.
She has prior experience as an athletic director as well, running Seattle Pacific University's athletics from 2008-2015. Her Seattle connections also would make a lot of fans feel comfortable after seeing outsiders come in and then quickly depart when the next chance to climb the ladder pops up.
O'Connell was a student-athlete and assistant coach at UW, and has served as deputy athletic director and Chief Operating Officer of the department since October. If the school's leadership value loyalty and a passion for UW in the next AD, not many candidates would fit the bill more than O'Connell.
Matthew Hayes, University of Arizona
Credit goes to Ralph Russo of the Associated Press for suggesting Hayes' name on social media Wednesday morning, and his resume certainly would check a lot of the likely boxes Washington is prioritizing with its next athletic director.
Hayes currently serves as the Senior Associate AD of Internal Operations and the Chief Financial Officer for Arizona. Prior to his time in Tucson, Hayes worked on the staff of the XFL's Seattle Sea Dragons and worked closely in football training with former Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn. Hayes also worked on the coaching staff at Bellevue High School, helping develop dozens of college football players and a few who made it to the professional level.
Arizona is already dealing with some significant budget issues across the university, including a $35 million athletic department deficit. Another person with Seattle connections, Hayes might be a prime option, especially after the university elected to bring in an outside hire for its recently vacated AD position.
Mark Harlan, University of Utah
Now in his sixth season at Utah, Harlan has been among the most successful leaders of an athletic program in the nation. Harlan was named the Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics for the 2022-23 academic year.
Harlan was given a contract extension that runs through 2028 in June of 2023, but perhaps the right offer could tear him away from Salt Lake City. UW's Big Ten membership will entitle it to significantly more resources than the Big 12 will provide Utah in the coming years, and UW fans have seen firsthand just how much these coaches and executives want to be in that exclusive club of either the Big Ten or SEC.
He also has worked as the AD at South Florida and worked in the University of California, Los Angeles' athletic department. It likely would take a significant raise to pry Harlan away from Utah, but this would be the best-case scenario for the Huskies given his stature and critical place on the College Football Playoff Committee.
Stephanie Rempe, University of Nevada
Rempe would provide a strong balance of experience and connections to UW with experience in some of the most high-level and successful athletic departments in the country. Before being hired as Nevada's AD, Rempe was Chief Operating Officer for Louisiana State University and Texas A&M, overseeing all coaches and staff for two of the nation's biggest and most well-resourced departments.
She has worked with the Huskies before as well, serving as a Senior Associate AD at UW from 2008-16. The chance to jump from the Mountain West Conference to the Big Ten also would be a huge opportunity for Rempe.
JD Wicker, San Diego State University
Wicker has some Pacific Northwest ties through his decade working at Washington State, and is a well-renowned athletic director at San Diego State. The Aztecs have transformed the program under Wicker, constructing a brand-new football stadium and made a run all the way to the men's Final Four in basketball in 2023.
The Sports Business Journal also named Wicker as its Athletic Director of the Year in 2023, so UW would be hiring one of the industry's best.