Former Rose Bowl CEO Darryl Dunn To Be Honored Friday at Pasadena Quarterbacks Second Luncheon of the Season

Darryl Dunn, who served as the Rose Bowl stadium CEO and General Manager from 1999 till his retirement in 2022, will be honored on Friday, at the Pasadena Quarterbacks’ second luncheon of the season.

The second luncheon comes ahead of UCLA vs. Washington game on Friday at the Rose Bowl.

Dunn said he is excited to be back to speak before the Pasadena Quarterbacks recalling his first public speaking opportunity with the club in 1999. 

“I’m looking forward to going [to the luncheon]. When I first started my position as general manager and CEO in 1999, the first public speaking opportunity I had was with the Quarterbacks. I’m really excited to come back, 20 odd years later. It’s going to be fun,” Dunn said. 

During the luncheon, the former Rose Bowl CEO said he plans to talk about his time at the Rose Bowl and share stories that people might enjoy. 

Although he retired from his position in June, Dunn said he continues to root hard for the Rose Bowl’s success. 

“I’m enjoying it (retirement). I’m staying busy. But I think it was the right time to leave the Rose Bowl. One thing I do know, certainly the Rose Bowl is still very close to my heart. Certainly I’m rooting for it hard and I’m very glad that it has had quite a bit of success in the past few months,” Dunn added. 

During his 23-year term as Rose Bowl CEO and general manager, Dunn was responsible for managing all aspects of the facility, including contract negotiations with prospective events, ongoing relationships with existing tenants, and all financial, marketing and operational needs for the stadium. 

He was extensively involved in long-range planning for the facility and spearheaded the planning and execution of a $200 million renovation project for the historic facility beginning in 2011.

One of Dunn’s biggest accomplishments during his tenure was the establishment of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the stadium’s 501(c)3 non-profit fundraising arm, which he helped create in 2010. The Foundation was established to preserve, protect and enhance the stadium’s future within the Arroyo Seco by providing private funding to support improvements in the venue and surrounding areas.

As of early 2022, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation has raised more than $50 million to support the Rose Bowl.

“The Rose Bowl Stadium, Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and Brookside Golf Course are parts of my family that I care for deeply,” Dunn said in March on the day he announced his retirement. “I am so proud of our collective accomplishments over the years and how we have grown as a team and believe we have helped Pasadena significantly over the years.”

Dunn also oversaw the Stadium’s renovation centered on the Terry Donahue Pavilion, which has the Stadium’s press box and a premium seat tower encompassing 54 suites, 48 loge boxes and 1,200 club seats. The renovation was a multiyear project completed in 2016.

He worked for the LA Lakers, LA Raiders, LA Clippers and the 1994 World Cup Organizing Committee before joining the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC).

Pasadena Quarterbacks are local sports enthusiasts who meet during the football season to hear from prominent personalities in the world of sports, and often invite area community college and high school coaches to speak. The group has been “huddling since 1945.”

Luncheon meetings and speaker events are held from August through November at The University Club in Pasadena. In the first Quarterbacks meeting for the 2022 season, Mike Bohn, USC’s Director of Athletics, spoke about USC and UCLA moving to the BIG 10 conference starting in 2024, a “historic move” that sent shock waves through the college football community.

Their last meeting for the season will be on Nov. 18, which Quarterbacks president Craig Franzen calls their “traditional UCLA-USC rivalry meeting.” It happens a day before a much-awaited USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins clash at the Rose Bowl.

Friday’s meeting with guest speaker Darryl Dunn will be held at the University Club of Pasadena, at 175 N. Oakland Ave.

For tickets to Friday’s luncheon click here, https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pasadena-quarterbacks-honors-darryl-dunn-tickets-413607359747