Report: Tulane ‘targeting’ Northern Iowa’s David Harris for AD post

If it worked once, it may work again.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Tulane is “targeting” Northern Iowa athletic director David Harris for its vacant position and that something could be “formalized in the upcoming days.”

Sources: Tulane is targeting Northern Iowa athletic director David Harris to be the school's next athletic director. Except something to be formalized in the upcoming days.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 20, 2023

If that sounds familiar, it’s a similar script to eight years ago, when Tulane officials tabbed then-Northern Iowa AD Troy Dannen for the job.

Dannen left Tulane in October for a similar position at the University of Washington.

Three months after Dannen headed from Iowa to Louisiana, Harris replaced him. In his time at UNI, Harris was appointed to the NCAA Division I Council in 2019, and this year, he was appointed chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.

Harris has ties to Louisiana. He is from Baton Rouge and is a graduate of University Lab School, then attended Ole Miss.

If Harris indeed takes over at Tulane, he would be the first African-American to hold down the position.

Reports had as many as seven other candidates for the job, none of whom were sitting athletic directors. Each of the last three times Tulane has not promoted from within for the position, it has landed a sitting AD – Kevin White from Maine, Rick Dickson from Washington State and Dannen.