Daily Skiff

The search for the university's new athletic director is ongoing, but there is no timeline for finding a replacement, a university official said.

Mark Cohen, director of athletic media relations, said it could be a week or a year from now until the university appoints someone the position. The names of any current candidates were not available for release, he said.

Former athletics director Danny Morrison resigned from the position Sept. 2 to take over as president of National Football League's Carolina Panthers. The university has assigned Davis Babb, formerly the associate athletics director for development, to serve as interim athletic director.

Chancellor Victor Boschini said he began looking for a new athletic director the day Morrison resigned.

"I am looking for an athletic director," Boschini said. "I am looking for somebody who has unquestionable integrity. Somebody who can work and live and enjoy the TCU culture and the culture of Fort Worth because I think that is important."

Boschini said he is also looking to hire someone that is aware that Horned Frog athletes are students first.

Cohen said the transition from Morrison to Babb has been smooth.

"Babb, the interim athletics director, is doing a great job of just continuing the momentum that we have in our department," Cohen said. "He is doing a fantastic job right now, and he is highly respected."

Babb said he and Morrison worked together for three weeks after Morrison resigned.

"As he was kind of working his way out he gave me a few more things to be responsible for," Babb said. "We had a lot of good discussions, and he gave me a lot of information I needed to know, so we are trying to do the best we can here and certainly wish him the best,"

When the new athletics director is hired, Babb and others within the department will work with him or her to meet the responsibilities of the job, Babb said

"As soon as someone is hired, I am sure we will all sit down with him and try to get him up to speed on what we do, and support him as best we can," he said.

Boschini said he is not sure if Babb will apply for the full-time athletics director position, but he could be a candidate.

"I was just asked to serve in this role while the search was going on, and so that's what I am doing," Babb said.

Morrison's last day at the university was Sept. 28 and he is now officially with the Carolina Panthers, Cohen said.

In a twist, Morrison's first day on the job put him in Arlington for the Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Cohen said.

"He worked on Monday with us, and he starts his new job with the Carolina Panthers by driving down I-30 and watching them play in Dallas," he said. "It worked out kind of weird that way."

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