TCU Chancellor Daniel Pullin Resigns After 17 Months. Victor Boschini Returns to Lead the University
The university gave no reason for the sudden change. Boschini, who led TCU for 22 years, takes over without an interim label as the school pushes to grow to about 17,900 students by 2035.
Texas Christian University has a new chancellor, and he is a familiar one.
Daniel Pullin resigned as TCU's chancellor on Thursday, Oct. 22, effective immediately, less than 17 months after taking the private Fort Worth university's top job, according to a university statement first obtained by the Fort Worth Report and published by The Texas Tribune. The statement gave no reason for his departure and no details about the terms of his separation.
His predecessor, Victor Boschini Jr., who led TCU for 22 years, was named chancellor effective immediately. The university did not call the appointment interim.
What the university said
"We thank Daniel for his years of service at TCU. We wish him and his family only the best," said Kit Moncrief, chair of TCU's board of trustees. Moncrief said Boschini will carry out the university's strategic plan while overseeing daily campus life.
Pullin also issued a short statement. "I love our students and couldn't be more proud of what their futures entail as they graduate and become outstanding TCU alumni," he said. "Thank you to everyone at TCU. I will always be invested in what TCU stands for."
Who Pullin is
Pullin came to TCU in 2019 as dean of the Neeley School of Business. After a national search, he became president on Feb. 1, 2023, reporting to Boschini, who was then chancellor. Trustees announced the succession plan in December 2024, and Pullin became TCU's 11th chancellor on June 1, 2025. The university did not fill the president's job after that.
Before TCU, Pullin was dean of the University of Oklahoma's Price College of Business. A Plano native, he earned undergraduate degrees in accounting and finance at Oklahoma, an MBA at Harvard and a law degree at Oklahoma, and he worked at McKinsey & Company and in private equity.
A school in the middle of a growth plan
The change comes at a busy time. TCU enrolled a record 13,241 students this fall and welcomed its largest incoming class for the second year in a row, the report said. By 2035, the university wants to reach about 17,900 students and earn Carnegie R1 status, the top research classification, which is based on research spending and doctoral degrees.
To house that growth, TCU has 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. The housing is meant to be ready by fall 2027.
Under Pullin, the university launched TCU for Texans, a financial aid program for qualifying incoming Texas students from families earning less than $100,000. It covers full tuition and some help with food and housing for students who meet Pell Grant eligibility and other requirements. In June, TCU also launched the Roach Institute of Athlete Engineering with a $10 million gift.
Not without disagreement
Pullin's time in senior leadership also saw disputes over academic priorities and the role of faculty. In October 2025, the university announced plans to fold its race and gender studies departments into its English department. Some faculty members questioned the lack of consultation and whether political pressure played a part. Administrators cited enrollment and money concerns and denied any political motive.
Nothing in the university's statement links that dispute to Pullin's resignation, and no reason has been given.
A season of turnover
Pullin is the third higher education leader in Tarrant County to leave in two months, the report noted. UT Arlington's Jennifer Cowley stepped down as president in August and returned to the faculty, and Texas A&M-Fort Worth's Bobby Ahdieh was picked on Oct. 20 as the next president of Pace University in New York.
That turnover comes as Fort Worth is growing fast and drawing big employers, like Carrier's planned $600 million plant at AllianceTexas. Universities that train the region's workers matter more than ever.
Steady hands
TCU still carries the name Christian. Whatever led to this change, families and students want a steady hand at the top, and the board turned to the man who led the school for more than two decades.
Leadership changes are hard on an institution, and on the person leaving. Scripture says, "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). TCU's trustees owe their students, faculty and donors as much openness as they can give, and the school's community will be watching to see what comes next.
