In the wake of TCU chancellor Daniel Pullin’s resignation from a position he held for less than two years, the first item of interest for most people in the community is how this move will affect the football coach, and the athletic director.
The short answer is not at all. The long answer is, the details are cloudy.
One of Pullin’s biggest priorities as the new chancellor was athletics, and a winning football team was high on the list of “needs.” TCU is currently 3-3 as it heads into its homecoming game on Saturday morning against West Virginia.
Since reaching the national title game in the 2022 season, TCU has not come close to returning to the Big 12 title game, or being in the conversation for a playoff berth. Its 1-2 record in the Big 12 this season pretty much eliminates the team from having a shot at either in 2026.
Restless and frustrated fans, many of whom never liked the hiring of football coach Sonny Dykes to replace Gary Patterson in the first place, would prefer the school start the process of looking for a new head coach five minutes ago.
Pullin’s exit will impact Dykes, and athletic director Mike Buddie, but the change at the top of TCU’s pyramid does not mean that both men should immediately start looking for new jobs.
The rest of the year will go a long way in determining their respective futures.
Sonny Dykes’ future with the new old regime
Pullin’s replacement is former TCU chancellor Victor Boschini, who had been in the job for 22 years before he moved into an emeritus role the last two years. He was the chancellor when TCU hired Dykes after the end of the 2021 season.
Had TCU put Boschini in an interim role, it would have all but guaranteed Dykes’ return for the 2027 season. It’s doubtful the school would have made a change with the head football coach under what would have been a short-time chancellor.
With Boschini returning to his role for the foreseeable future, the evaluation of the football program under Dykes changes.
Few people at TCU understand, and have lived, the power of a winning football program like Boschini. He knows what it meant for the school.
According to people familiar with the team’s payroll, TCU has the second-highest in the Big 12 behind Texas Tech. TCU’s 3-3 record overall, and a nationally irrelevant team, is a bad ROI.
One area about Dykes’ status that frustrated the part of the fan base that wants him gone is the “multi-year” contract extension that Buddie announced earlier this year. As part of the extension, Dykes agreed to lower his buyout figure, which was a way to have more years put on his deal. He was basically betting on himself.
Whatever the buyout figure, TCU must determine if bringing him back for his sixth season is in the best interests of the school. TCU has six regular-season games remaining; best case scenario is the team rallies for its third straight 9-4 record.
That could be enough for Dykes to remain in his job, but it may not be enough to stir interest in a fan base that sounds increasingly checked out.
Mike Buddie’s future with the ‘new’ regime
Boschini was not the chancellor when TCU hired Buddie from Army to replace Jeremiah Donati, who left to become the athletic director at South Carolina. Buddie was Pullin’s highest profile hire, and even since he arrived at TCU on Jan. 1, 2025 the job he agreed to has changed.
Fundraising was never Buddie’s first love, but now more than ever, people in Buddie’s position are asking people for money even when they’re asleep. A major college athletic department AD is now constantly begging donors for cash to help recruit players … sorry, student athletes.
Buddie could be a great administrator, but if he’s lacking as a fundraiser, that’s a problem. Now more than ever an athletic director is evaluated based almost exclusively on the success of the football team; raising money is hard when the football team isn’t winning.
Across the board, TCU’s athletic department under Buddie has performed well; both basketball programs are coming off successful years, women’s soccer and volleyball are nationally ranked. The baseball team has been a disappointment in each of the past two years, and missed the NCAA Tournament last season.
Now that the man who tabbed Buddie to lead the department is gone, his future will be determined by a new boss, with whom he has a relationship.
Pullin’s sudden resignation will not lead to equally sudden departures of the football coach or AD, but their respective futures will be impacted by his exit as they will both be evaluated by their old new boss.
This story was originally published October 23, 2026 at 5:30 AM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. Movies. Concerts. Books. He combines dry wit with 1st-person reporting to complement an annoying personality.
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