Panthers not rushing to replace their departing president

A month after their team president unexpectedly stepped down, the Carolina Panthers are not in a rush to replace Danny Morrison, and they say there is no set date by which to find his successor. The executive standstill comes as free agency gets underway, and as the team’s stadium undergoes another phase of major renovations.

The Panthers announced in February that Morrison was leaving to pursue interests at the college level. Morrison had been with the team since 2009.

“There is no timetable, and we’re not in search of a president at this time. We have a veteran executive team in place who have worked together for a number of years and have been given autonomy to do their jobs under (team owner Jerry) Richardson, spokesman Steven Drummond told the Observer on Thursday.

Drummond cited other executive leaders – including executive director Phil Youtsey, executive director of stadium operations Scott Paul, owner’s office executive director Tina Becker, chief financial officer Mike Dudan, among others – who have decades of combined experience with the team.

Morrison’s responsibilities with the team were more related to the business side of the organization, rather than football operations. He had led renovation efforts at Bank of America Stadium, and played a significant role in improving the Panthers’ training camp facilities at Wofford, where he was previously athletics director.

Morrison declined to comment.

Changes in the front office come at a time when the stadium undergoes its fourth year of renovations, which include the addition of a new field drainage system and upgrades to the club and 100-level seating areas.

The latest round of renovations – part of a five-year, public-private financing agreement the Panthers agreed to with the city of Charlotte in 2013 – are expected to wrap up in July, the team said.

In other postseason updates, unlike last year, when the Panthers raised ticket prices for season-ticket holders following the team’s second-ever Super Bowl appearance, prices will remain flat for the upcoming season. About 90 percent of the stadium is composed of permanent seat license (PSL) owners, who received letters from the team last month regarding the ticket pricing.

The current phase of renovations will take about four months. The stadium will not be hosting any non-football events, such as soccer matches, during this offseason. Here are some additional details about the current round of renovations:

▪ The field is currently being dug up so that a new irrigation system can be installed. In its first year, the new system is supposed to be able to drain twice as fast as it did in 2016, Drummond said.

▪ In some club-level lounges, the multiple 55-inch TVs will be replaced with a single screen the size of about 15 55-inch TVs.

▪ In the 100 level, concession areas are being redone to resemble those in the 500 level, including the addition of new signage and the addition of an all-you-can-drink soda option.

This last round of renovations is the last phase that will be noticeable to fans. Other updates have included new video boards, escalators, and a new Wi-Fi system. Additional “back of the house” updates are expected over the next two years, the Panthers said.

Staff writer Joseph Person contributed.

This story was originally published March 9, 2017 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Panthers not rushing to replace their departing president."