Panthers president Danny Morrison resigns after 7 years

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Panthers president Danny Morrison announced Thursday he has resigned to pursue other career opportunities at the college level.

Morrison has served as Panthers team president since 2009. He was hired after Panthers owner and founder Jerry Richardson abruptly let go of his sons Mark and Jon Richardson when the brothers couldn't get along at work. Richardson hired Morrison despite the fact he had no experience at the NFL level at the time.

''I had a wonderful run with the Panthers,'' Morrison told The Associated Press. ''I learned a lot. But the timing was right (to leave) at this point in the NFL calendar year.''

Like Richardson, Morrison also attended Wofford College, where the Panthers still have training camp every summer.

Morrison, 63, came to the Panthers from Texas Christian University and before that served as commissioner of the Southern Conference and director of athletics at Wofford College.

Richardson was unavailable for comment.

However, Richardson said in a release that ''Danny has made significant contributions to the Panthers over the last seven years and provided guidance to our business operations. He came to us from a college background and learned the NFL quickly. Danny has great integrity and embodies our core values. We thank him for his contributions and wish him the best.''

Morrison said that he has been thinking about a change for a while and ''there are other endeavors, particularly on the college level, that interest me as a final chapter in my career.''

He has spent more than 30 years in college athletics, but said he has not been hired for another job.

The Panthers said there is no immediate replacement for the position.

Morrison had an integral role in the stadium's renovations, as well as the revamping of the Panthers training camp at Wofford College. Morrison did not have any say in personnel decisions, with those decisions belonging to general manager Dave Gettleman.

His responsibilities included overseeing all business operations.

''I have been blessed to be a part of this and I am really going to miss the people,'' Morrison said. ''The people in the organization - the staff, the coaches, the players - they are wonderful. That is what you miss.''

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