By selecting Mr. Melvin, a familiar face on the show, network executives chose to go the steadiest route possible.

The journalist, who has been at NBC for 26 years, joked as recently as Monday that she did not know who would take her spot after she moved on.

Hoda Kotb is passing the baton to Craig Melvin. After the longtime Today co-anchor steps down in January, the NBC News journalist—who has been with the network for over 12 years—will take her place for the show’s opening 7 a.