Behind The Mic: Michael Vick Joins Fox Sports’ NFL Studio Team; ESPN Adds Mark Helfrich, Les Miles for CFB

Behind the Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and reports around the industry. In this week’s edition,  four-time NFL Pro Bowler Michael Vick joins Fox Sports as a studio analyst for FOX NFL KICKOFF, former Florida State and NFL quarterback Danny Kanell will be a new daily host on its 24/7 college sports channel, Fox Sports officially announces that former NCAA football coaches Mark Helfrich, Les Miles have joined the network for coverage of its best-ever college football schedule this fall, SportsCenter anchor Lisa Kerney has been named the new host of Fantasy Football Now, ESPN adds a trio of new team reporters for the 2017 NFL season, and more.

…Four-time NFL Pro Bowler Michael Vick joins Fox Sports as a studio analyst for FOX NFL KICKOFF, as well as FS1 studio programming during the 2017 NFL season. Vick joins a talented FOX NFL KICKOFF roster, including host Charissa Thompson and fellow studio analysts Tony Gonzalez, Dave Wannstedt and Colin Cowherd. FOX NFL KICKOFF features weekly segments from Cooper Manning and regular guest appearances from current Redskins cornerback Josh Norman. The 11:00 AM ET pregame show, which airs immediately preceding FOX NFL SUNDAY, concluded its second season in 2016 with a 0.9/3 national household rating and 1.341 million viewers, a +14% improvement over the program’s 2015 average of 1.181 million viewers (0.8 HH). During the 2017 season, Vick will also make guest appearances on FOX NFL SUNDAY. Already in 2017, Vick has been a guest on FS1’s SKIP AND SHANNON: UNDISPUTED, THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD and SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. As the first dual-threat NFL prospect at the quarterback position, Vick was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the first overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Vick enjoyed a 13-season NFL career as a unique figure who impacted the history of the league by redefining his position while simultaneously paving the way for future generations of NFL stars…

…Fox Sports officially announces that former NCAA football coaches Mark Helfrich, Les Miles and veteran broadcaster/former NCAA and NFL player Danny Kanell have joined the network for coverage of its best-ever college football schedule this fall. Helfrich calls a full slate of games this season alongside play-by-play announcer Justin Kutcher and fellow analyst Petros Papadakis. Helfrich begins his broadcasting career with Fox Sports following his tenure with Oregon, where he served as head coach of the Ducks for four seasons after spending the previous four years as the program’s offensive coordinator. Miles moves to television following a successful coaching career, most recently at LSU, which culminated in a Tigers’ Citrus Bowl victory last season. A broadcaster with ESPN for the last eight years, Kanell calls select college football games for FOX Sports in 2017. Kanell is a former collegiate and professional football and baseball player, having quarterbacked Florida State for four years while playing two seasons with the Seminoles’ baseball team.

…SiriusXM has also announced that former Florida State and NFL quarterback Kanell will be a new daily host on its 24/7 college sports channel.  Starting Monday, August 28, Kanell will host Playbook every weekday afternoon (1:00-4:00 p.m. ET) alongside co-host Jason Horowitz (channel 84 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app). While he is more widely known for his football career, Kanell is one of the rare athletes who have played both collegiately and professionally in multiple sports.  A 1996 graduate of Florida State, Kanell played quarterback for the Seminoles for four years and was selected as the 1995 ACC Player of the Year and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete.  He was selected in the fourth round of the 1996 NFL Draft and played for the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos. Kanell has built an extensive and varied broadcasting career after his playing career ended…

…SiriusXM has announced that 15-year NFL quarterback and veteran broadcaster Phil Simms, who won the Super Bowl XXI MVP award with the New York Giants, will be an NFL analyst on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel throughout the 2017 season. Simms will join host Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo each week for Simms and the Mad Dog, an hour-long program where the duo will discuss the news from the league that week and preview the coming weekend’s matchups. Simms will make his debut on Thursday, September 7 (4:00-5:00 p.m. ET).  Thereafter Simms and the Mad Dog will air every Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET…

…Four ESPN NFL commentators have signed contract extensions and will continue to contribute to the company’s year-round coverage of the NFL. The group includes Wendi Nix, Louis Riddick, Dianna Russini and Darren Woodson. In addition to the extensions, SportsCenter anchor Lisa Kerney has been named the new host of Fantasy Football Now, the three-hour Sunday morning pregame show on ESPN2 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET). Jeff Darlington, who joined ESPN in September 2016 as a SportsCenter reporter, will now focus primarily on the NFL, reporting from game sites for Sunday NFL Countdown, contributing news and features, and more.

Nix will continue as an NFL Live studio host (along with Trey Wingo and Suzy Kolber) this season before assuming the primary host role at the conclusion of the 2017 NFL season in February, as Wingo moves to ESPN Radio. Nix, who joined ESPN in 2006, will also contribute NFL features as part of her new role. Riddick will continue as an NFL Front Office Insider with expanded responsibilities. In addition to appearing onSunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown and NFL Live, Riddick will join the popular NFL Matchup show this fall, alongside Sal Paolantonio (his 16th year hosting) and analyst Greg Cosell. Riddick will also be the primary NFL analyst on editions of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt immediately following the Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football  Riddick, who joined the company in 2013, will continue as one of ESPN’s primary analysts on the annual NFL Draft. Russini, who joined ESPN as aSportsCenter anchor in July 2015, will now focus on the NFL. Her multi-faceted role includes hosting, analysis, reporting and features. She will contribute to NFL Live and Sunday NFL Countdown, as well as SportsCenter, and will have the opportunity to break even more NFL news stories. Woodson, a three-time Super Bowl champion, will continue as an NFL analyst appearing primarily onNFL Live and SportsCenter. He will also contribute features to Sunday NFL Countdown. Since joining ESPN in 2005, the former Dallas Cowboys safety has been featured on myriad studio programs and during major events like ESPN’s Super Bowl week coverage…

…ESPN NFL Nation has also added a trio of new team reporters for the 2017 NFL season. Courtney Cronin and Brady Henderson has joined ESPN’s roster of 32 team reporters. Cronin, who previously worked for the San Jose Mercury News and the Jackson (MS) Clarion-Ledger, is now covering the Minnesota Vikings, while Brady Henderson, previously editor in chief and Seahawks writer at 710Sports.com and 710 ESPN Seattle, now covers the Seattle Seahawks. Cameron Wolfe has been named the Tennessee Titans team reporter after joining ESPN from the Denver Post where he covered the Broncos…

…As Fox Sports descends on New York City for the launch of its new early morning show, FIRST THINGS FIRST WITH CRIS CARTER AND NICK WRIGHT, the network makes an addition to its roster. Longtime broadcaster, Jenna Wolfe, joins FS1 as host of FIRST THINGS FIRST, premiering Tuesday, September 5 at 6:30 a.m. ET. A fixture on national television for nearly a decade, Wolfe served as a correspondent on NBC’s “Today” show and an anchor on “Weekend Today” from 2007 to 2015. While reporting on the weekend’s biggest stories, she also served as the show’s first fitness and lifestyle correspondent. Wolfe has an extensive background in sports broadcasting, spending three years as a sports reporter at WABC New York from 2004 to 2007, following two years at MSG Network where she hosted the network’s flagship program “MSG SportsDesk”.