Hank Booth’s four-year career as public-address announcer at Kansas University men’s basketball games is over.

Booth – a one-time radio station owner, longtime radio executive and ongoing on-air personality – learned last week that his services no longer would be needed near center court at Allen Fieldhouse.

He is being replaced by Eric Danielson, the announcer for KU women’s games since the start of last season. Danielson has been handling announcements during men’s games for several weeks, as Booth has been recovering from an injury suffered during a fall at his home in rural Lawrence.

While politely declining to discuss specifics, Booth confirmed he would not be back.

“I have loved doing it, and have always loved helping the university in any way I can,” Booth said Monday.

Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director at KU, said the switch wasn’t a matter of Booth doing anything wrong.

“We just think Eric has done a great, great job, so we’ve asked him to stay on,” Marchiony said. “The reaction to him has been very positive. He’s just done a great job, and that’s not always something that you can quantify. But we felt that he has done such a good job that he deserves to be the starter. :

“The No. 2 quarterback is now the No. 1 quarterback.”

Booth has been calling KU games since the latter stages of the 2003-2004 men’s basketball season, when Howard Hill retired after 21 years.

The job is unpaid, unless you count the two season tickets Danielson will receive as the first-string public-address announcer. Hill used to joke that he had paid more than $10,000 to tackle his public-address duties because he had been required to claim the value of his own ticket as income on his tax return.

Booth also handles public address duties for KU football games at Memorial Stadium.

“We haven’t even addressed that,” Marchiony said about next season.

Danielson, 29, grew up in Lawrence attended University of San Diego – “unfortunately, not KU,” he said – on a vocal performance scholarship.

He lists KU basketball among his favorite things, and the announcing jobs at Allen Fieldhouse as a collective dream come true.

Booth actually introduced Danielson to Kansas Athletics Inc. officials before last season – and recommended him for the job doing women’s games.

“Hank’s always been a mentor to me, in terms of the things that he’s done in Lawrence,” Danielson said. “And he recognizes it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Booth, meanwhile, continues to do radio shows on KLWN and recently started work as a staffer for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.