"Today" replaced its longtime director on Tuesday in one of what is becoming a lengthy series of changes for the struggling NBC morning show.

Joe Michaels, who has been the director for "Today" for 18 years, was promoted out of his job on Tuesday, and given the title of "senior director." The New York Times said Michaels was caught "off-guard" by the move.

Michaels will be responsible for overseeing some major overhauls for the show, including, most prominently, a new set. "Today" last refurbished its digs back in 2006. The Times wrote that the show is even trying to tinker with its famed plaza.

The moves are just the latest in a string of personnel changes for "Today," which has lagged behind "Good Morning America" in the ratings for nearly a year. In recent months, the show replaced its top producer, Jim Bell, with two new executives, Alexandra Wallace and Don Nash. NBC News has also hired a new president, Deborah Turness, who will surely watch "Today," the profit center of the network, like a hawk.