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TCU chancellor resigns after less than two years at helm

TCU President Daniel Pullin speaks during the “Fort Worth and the 2027 Texas Legislature” event on Oct. 7, 2026, at Texas Christian University. (Camilo Diaz Jr. For The Texas Tribue, Camilo Diaz Jr. For The Texas Tribue)

Daniel Pullin is out as Texas Christian University’s chancellor, less than 17 months after taking the private institution’s top job.

Pullin’s resignation Thursday is effective immediately, according to a university statement obtained by the Fort Worth Report. The announcement, which was dated Oct. 22, 2026, gave no reason for Pullin’s resignation or details about separation terms.

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“We thank Daniel for his years of service at TCU. We wish him and his family only the best,” Kit Moncrief, chair of TCU’s board of trustees, said in a statement.

His predecessor, Victor Boschini Jr., who led TCU for 22 years, was appointed chancellor, effective immediately. TCU named Boschini chancellor without an interim designation.

Boschini will execute the university’s strategic plan while overseeing daily campus life, Moncrief said.

The leadership change comes as TCU pursues a decade of expansion, with plans to enroll thousands more students, build new housing and increase the university’s profile as a research institution. Pullin helped develop the strategy before becoming chancellor in June 2025.

“I love our students and couldn’t be more proud of what their futures entail as they graduate and become outstanding TCU alumni,” Pullin said in a statement. “Thank you to everyone at TCU. I will always be invested in what TCU stands for.”

Pullin joined TCU in 2019 as dean of the Neeley School of Business. Following a national search, Pullin began his presidential tenure Feb. 1, 2023, overseeing operations while reporting to then-Chancellor Boschini.

Trustees and Boschini announced the succession plan in December 2024. Pullin became TCU’s 11th chancellor June 1, 2025. The university did not fill the president position.

TCU enrolled 13,241 students — a record — and welcomed its largest incoming class for the second-consecutive year this fall.

By 2035, TCU has two goals: reaching approximately 17,900 students and attaining Carnegie R1 status, a classification based on research spending and doctoral production.

Housing construction is intended to accommodate that growth by fall 2027. TCU announced more than $500 million in outside investment for two developments: 2,450 beds in new campus housing and about 780 beds at Morado on Berry, which also includes retail space.

In June, TCU launched the Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering with a $10 million gift. The institute connects research athletic performance with applications for military personnel, first responders and workers in physically demanding jobs.

During Pullin’s time as chancellor, the university launched TCU for Texans, a financial aid program for qualifying incoming Texas students whose family income is below $100,000. The program provides full tuition and some assistance for food and housing to students who meet Pell Grant eligibility and other requirements.

Pullin’s time in TCU’s senior leadership included disputes over academic priorities and faculty input. In October 2025, the university announced plans to fold its race and gender studies departments into English.

Faculty members questioned the lack of consultation and whether political pressure influenced the decision. Administrators cited enrollment and financial concerns and denied political motivation.

Before joining TCU, Pullin served as dean of the University of Oklahoma’s Price College of Business. A Plano native, he earned undergraduate degrees in accounting and finance at Oklahoma, a Master of Business Administration at Harvard and a law degree at Oklahoma. His earlier career included work at McKinsey & Company and in private equity.

Pullin is the third higher education leader in Tarrant County to depart in the past two months. UT Arlington’s Jennifer Cowley stepped down as president in August and returned to a faculty position. Texas A&M-Fort Worth’s Bobby Ahdieh on Oct. 20 was selected as the next president of Pace University in New York.

Disclosure: Open Campus and Tarleton State University have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune within the past five years. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in our journalism. Find a complete list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.

Dang Le is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org.

The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Fort Worth.