At 2pm today on his show Dan Patrick made the announcement that after 18 years with ESPN he was going to leave to pursue other interests. Meanwhile station managers from Baltimore/Washington to
Patrick is the face and the voice of ESPN radio and his 1pm to 4pm Monday-Friday show is the networks signature show and one that over 300 radio station coast to coast count on for revenue. Now they will wait and see who ESPN will replace him with before making a change. They will either go local like WTEM has done or they will bring in Jim Rome like WJFK-FM has done.
What is next for Patrick?
He is likely to be headed to MSNBC to replace Don Imus along with a contract with CBS Radio where he can ply his trade as a consummate talk show host both on TV and radio. For some very, very big bucks!
He might still be in the Price is Right derby although they want to fill that role by the end of the week.
Here are the details on Dan’s leaving from ESPN and his own statement.
The mutual agreement will allow Patrick to pursue new interests outside of ESPN, and will bring to an end his involvement with ESPN’s radio, television and magazine outlets.
The week of Patrick’s final show, ESPN Radio will look back at memorable moments from the show, in addition to featuring special guest appearances and interviews.
Patrick said: “I’ve spent a third of my life at ESPN. All my children were born while I was employed here. I feel privileged to have had this opportunity and I have extremely mixed emotions about leaving. With that said, I told ESPN that I believe it’s time for me to try something different, something that will also be challenging and rewarding. While I’m not sure what that will be, I am grateful to ESPN for its willingness to allow me to pursue new endeavors.”
Williamson added, “Dan has accomplished so much over the past two decades at ESPN and fans and newsmakers have turned to him for his steady and trusted approach. We wish him the very best.”
Patrick has hosted ESPN Radio’s Dan Patrick Show since 1999. He also recently served as host of the NBA studio program on ABC, NBA Countdown, and the network’s game broadcasts, including the NBA Finals. He was a SportsCenter anchor from 1989-2006, and has written ‘Outtakes’ for ESPN The Magazine. Patrick was named National Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) in 2000, and received a Sports Emmy Award in the Studio Host category in 1998. Prior to ESPN, Patrick, a graduate of the
