Behind the Mic: Neil Everett, Stan Verrett Re-Up With ESPN; Joe Tessitore Replaces Reece Davis on ESPN Thursday CFB Game
Story Highlights
Neil Everett and Stan Verrett, co-anchors of the late-night SportsCenter from ESPN’s Los Angeles studios, have reached new, multi-year agreements to remain with ESPN. Everett and Verrett, who joined ESPN two months apart in 2000, will continue to host the 1 a.m. ET edition of SportsCenter, which launched from the Los Angeles studio in 2009.
Neil Everett and Stan Verrett on the set of SportsCenter
(Photo by Kohjiro Kinno / ESPN Images)
Everett started at ESPN in July, 2000, after working for 15 years for various affiliates in Honolulu, most recently KGMB-TV, the CBS affiliate where he was the sports director and weekday anchor. Prior to his TV news career, Everett served as an assistant athletic director and sports information director at Hawaii Pacific University. He also was the communications director for the Jeep Aloha and Jeep Oahu bowls. He grew up in Spokane, Wash., and graduated from the University of Oregon.
Verrett joined ESPN in September, 2000, after working as a weekend sports anchor and reporter at WDSU-TV, an NBC affiliate, in his hometown of New Orleans. Verrett’s career includes serving as sports anchor and reporter in Norfolk, Va., at ABC affiliate WVEC-TV and NBC affiliate WAVY-TV. He was also a top-rated morning show personality at several radio stations in Washington, D.C., Charleston, S.C., and Norfolk…
… Joe Tessitore, host of SEC network’s pregame show SEC Nation and new host of ESPN’s College Football Final Presented by AT&T – both on Saturday – will move into ESPN’s Thursday night play-by-play slot previously held by Rece Davis who will take on hosting duties for College GameDay Built by The Home Depot. Tessitore will work alongside Jesse Palmer and David Pollack with sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung.
In addition, second-year analyst Mack Brown will join Dave Flemming and Allison Williams for the Friday night game while retaining his Saturday ABC studio role. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit with reporter Heather Cox will return to call ABC’s Saturday Night Football presented by Wells Fargo as will Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe for ESPN College Football Primetime presented by Hampton Hotels. Both teams will call a College Football Playoff National Semifinal on New Year’s Eve with Fowler, Herbstreit and Cox then calling the championship game on January 11, 2016…
…Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie will serve as lead analyst for NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2015 Notre Dame Football season, continuing a role he began at the end of last season. Flutie will be joined by veteran play-by-play announcer Dan Hicks, and sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen. Super Bowl Champion, BCS National Champion and former University of Miami LB Jonathan Vilma will join the broadcast team as a pre-game and halftime analyst. Vilma will work alongside Notre Dame on NBC pre-game and halftime show veterans Liam McHugh (host), and Hines Ward (analyst), a two-time Super Bowl champion and former University of Georgia QB/WR…
…For the third straight year, Chris Berman will call the second game of the Monday Night Football opening week doubleheader, the Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, CA. Berman’s partner will once again be Trent Dilfer who will be in his fourth year as analyst on the opening week MNF doubleheader. Lindsay Czarniak will be on the sidelines for the game. (Awful Announcing)…
…Two-time Super Bowl champion and veteran Football Night In America studio analyst Rodney Harrison will join co-hosts Mike Florio and Paul Burmeister every weekday throughout the 2015 season on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk. Harrison joined NBC’s Emmy Award-nominated studio show Football Night in America as an analyst in 2009 and also hosts Safety Blitz with Rodney Harrison & Dan Schwartzman, a two-hour weekend NFL talk show for NBC Sports Radio…
…Longtime golf industry voice Matt Adams has joined Golf Channel, where he will contribute to several Golf Channel on-air programs and digital platforms. Adams joins Golf Channel’s roster of on-air personalities, and will continue to serve as host of Fairways of Life on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (XM ch. 93, Sirius ch. 208). In his new role, Adams will become a contributor to several Golf Channel programs available around the world, including Golf Central and Morning Drive, and on Golf Central’s “Live From” programming from golf’s marquee events, and additionally will serve as a contributing writer for GolfChannel.com and Golf Advisor golf course review site. Fairways of Life also will transition its show production to originate from Golf Channel’s World Headquarters in Orlando, Fla. The digital studio is located across the hall from Studio AP, the home of Morning Drive. A best-selling author, journalist, speaker, historian and broadcaster, he has worked in and followed the golf industry for more than 25 years, and has been heralded by legends of the game as one of the best interviewers in golf. He has co-authored multiple books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, but considers golf his primary profession and passion. An expert in golf equipment technology, Adams has built and designed clubs for major manufacturers, including Nicklaus, MacGregor, Ram and Wilson, and previously worked as a golf course operator…
…NESN has hired Lisa Hillary as an anchor/reporter for NESN’s sports news programs. The sports television veteran will join Adam Pellerin to form the network’s lead anchor team for NESN Sports Today. She will also fill in as a reporter and appear on NESN’s other sports news programs, including NESN LIVE and NESN Sports Update. Hillary comes to NESN with 15 years of experience as a sports television anchor and reporter at several networks, including Comcast Sportsnet Mid Atlantic (2006-2010) and Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia (2010-2013) where she was a 2-time Emmy winner. She also served as the Anaheim Ducks sideline reporter for Fox Sports West during the 2013-14 NHL season. Earlier in her career she anchored sports reports on TSN SportsCentre (Canada’s equivalent to ESPN) and served as a news anchor/general assignment reporter in Ottawa…
…“Showtime” Shawn Porter – the welterweight contender helped launch Premier Boxing Champions on Spike in March with a 5th round knockout over Eric Bone – will serve as guest analyst On Friday, August 14 for Antonio “The Magic Man” Tarver (31-6, 22 KO’s), who is headlining the PBC on Spike event in a 12-round heavyweight bout against Steve “USS” Cunningham (28-7, 13 KO’s) LIVE on Spike. Porter, who is coming off of a dominating unanimous decision against Adrien Broner in June, will join the Spike announce team of Scott Hanson, Jimmy Smith, and host, Dana Jacobson. This marks Porter’s first-ever nationally-televised announcing appearance…
…CBS Sports Network debuts TIME TO SCHEIN, its new one-hour live weekday sports show with host Adam Schein on Monday, Aug. 17 (6:00 PM, ET). TIME TO SCHEIN tackles the sports world with Adam’s unique perspective on the latest news, key figures and social media trends in a fast-moving, unscripted format. TIME TO SCHEIN will air live Monday-Friday from 6:00-7:00 PM, ET, originating from New York City. Schein also hosts THAT OTHER PREGAME SHOW and NFL MONDAY QB on CBS Sports Network…
…FOX Sports will see Jamie Little make her FIM MotoGP World Championship hosting debut on Aug. 9 on FOX Sports 1 for coverage of the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix. Little will be joined by Ralph Sheheen on play-by-play, analyst Kevin Schwantz and pit reporter Jenny Taft…
…Two Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receivers – MICHAEL IRVIN and JERRY RICE – will serve as NFL Legends captains for the 2016 Pro Bowl. Irvin and Rice return for the second time after being the winning captains during the previous two Pro Bowls…
…SiriusXM and FanDuel have created a new show dedicated to daily fantasy sports called FanDuel Daily, which will air every weekday from 5:00 to 6:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius channel 210, XM channel 87). SiriusXM and Fantasy Alarm analyst Jeff Mans and FanDuel’s Joe Pisapia will host the show, which will feature contributions from a cast of FanDuel analysts.
