Dan Le Batard leaves ESPN as new national ESPN Radio lineup unveiled
Dan Le Batard during the Le Batard and Friends Live podcast at Gramercy Theatre on May 18, 2019. Credit: ESPN Images/Steve Fenn
Dan Le Batard will leave ESPN in January "to pursue a new opportunity," the network announced on Thursday.
The final episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" will air on ESPN Radio on Jan. 4, which also will mark Le Batard’s final day hosting his television show, "Highly Questionable." The TV show will continue without him.
On Jan. 5, ESPN Radio will unveil a new national schedule, which will include the local ESPN New York show featuring Bart Scott and former Newsday sportswriter Alan Hahn going national from noon to 2 p.m. Hahn and Scott have been together since last January when Scott left WFAN.
Mike Greenberg’s show will be heard nationally from 10 a.m. to noon starting on Jan. 5. ESPN did not announce how the changes will impact its New York station’s lineup, but Hahn and Scott will remain a part of it.
Le Batard has been bluntly outspoken on the air on a variety of topics, including the sort of political talk that ESPN usually tries to steer clear of. Last month, he reacted to ESPN laying off his producer, Chris Cote, by re-hiring Cote and paying him to be his personal assistant.
In a news release, Le Batard said, "Gracias to ESPN for unleashing Papi [Le Batard’s father] and Stugotz upon an unsuspecting America, and for lending its substantive credibility to our careening clown car. Can't believe Stugotz finally achieved his dream of becoming a high-priced free agent. I'm forever indebted to Erik Rydholm, Matt Kelliher and their vibrant team for providing a creative oasis across a decade, and for expanding the Le Batard family to include so many brilliant colleagues who have become forever friends, bonded eternally by laughter and love.
"Want to also extend my gratitude to Chuck Salituro, Jimmy Pitaro, Traug Keller, Marcia Keegan, Connor Schell, Juan Diaz, Mike Foss, Amanda Gifford, Liam Chapman, Megan Judge, Elizabeth Fierman, the Hialeah-soaked crew at Imagina ...and when did this become a droning acceptance speech instead of a quick goodbye? In short, thank you, Disney and ESPN, for a quarter-century of absurd blessings.
"To our loyal army of concerned fans, and to everyone who walked along and played an instrument in our Marching Band to Nowhere, know that it is a very exciting time for us, not a sad one. And that you'll be hearing our laughter again soon enough."
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
