New AD Trev Alberts Seeks Trust & Unity for UNL Athletics

Trev Alberts will be the next athletic director at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Alberts has been the athletic director at the University of Nebraska at Omaha since 2009 and will start at his new position on Monday, July 19.

At a Wednesday press conference, Alberts said student athletes will be his department’s focus.

“I think the most important thing that I’ve learned in my leadership journey is the importance of trust,” he said. “Within the next two to three years, I’ve got to earn the trust of our student athletes. I always remind myself and everybody on the staff that nobody here would have a job, if it wasn’t for student athletes.”

Alberts was a student athlete at UNL from 1990 to 1993, playing for legendary coach and former athletic director Tom Osbourne. He was an All-American and won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 1993.

University of Nebraska President Ted Carter said there was one important characteristic he was looking for in the search for UNL’s next athletic director.

“I wanted a leader,” he said. “38 years of wearing a uniform in the navy, having flown at ‘Top Gun,’ lead a lot of people in combat, I’ve seen a lot of different things. I’ve seen some phenomenal leaders, I’ve seen some not-so-good leaders. I feel like I know a great leader when I see one, and we have a great leader here with us today.”

Under the supervision of Alberts, UNO has seen success in basketball and baseball and is a national contender in hockey.

The Cedar Falls, Iowa native is lauded for reclassifying UNO to Division One athletics and upgrading their facilities, but criticized at times for eliminating the Mavericks’ football and wrestling programs.

Having a unified purpose and working hard are goals UNL’s new athletic director set.

Former athletic director Bill Moos announced his retirement on June 25 taking effect on June 30.