Rimington Named Interim Director of Athletics at UNL

Sept. 26, 2017, 1:11 a.m. ·

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UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green and Interim Director of Athletics Dave Rimington (photo by Jack Williams, NET News)

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Former Husker football All-American Dave Rimington has been named interim director of athletics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Rimington's appointment, which begins immediately, follows the Sept. 21 firing of Shawn Eichorst.

Listen to audio of the full conference HERE


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"UNL Fires Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst" (NET News, Sept 21, 2017)

Rimington will take a leave of absense from his role of president of the New York-based Boomer Esiason Foundation. His interim director of athletics appointment is scheduled for up to 60 days.

"I'm so pleased that we could count on Dave Rimington, who is a Husker through and through, to answer our call to lend his administrative expertise and unwavering support for Nebraska Athletics during this key time of transition," UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green said in a news release. "I am confident that Dave will provide exceptional leadership as we move forward in our search for a new, permanent director of athletics."

"I could have selected any one of a very strong team of the senior leaders that we have in Husker Athletics," Green said at a news conference announcing Rimington's selection. "That would have been the easiest thing to do, because we are very blessed here with senior leaders in our program that are amongst the best in the country. I felt, though, that would be a missed opportunity to bring in an outside person during this time to also work with us, and provide some outside input for us as we decided to move forward."

"He is a proven leader in fiscal management, a proven leader in transparency, a proven leader that's amongst the top-ranked charities in the field," Green said about Rimington at the news conference. "And that certainly was important to us in thinking about this interim appointment."

Rimington is an Omaha South High School graduate who is among the most honored offensive linemen in college football history. He is the only player to win the Outland Trophy in consecutive years, 1981 and 1982. Rimington was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

"I am humbled and grateful to accept this responsibility," Rimington said in a news release. "I look forward to working with the coaches, staff and student-athletes at Nebraska, which is a truly special place that has had a profound impact on my life and the lives of countless others."

"I talked to the coaches today and I'm there for them," Rimington said at the news conference. "I'm not here to fire anybody. I'm just here to calm things down."