ESPN Radio has told its affiliates that Mike Golic Jr. is no longer part of the radio network. A memo obtained by Barrett Sports Media reads as follows:
We would like to inform you that as of Tuesday, February 8, 2022 Mike Golic, Jr. will no longer be a part of the ESPN Radio Network lineup. In the interim, our 3-7P ET timeslot will become ‘ESPN Radio Afternoons’, with host Chris Canty joined by an ensemble of co-hosts. A formal announcement regarding our plans for this timeslot moving forward will be announced soon.
The younger Golic has been part of ESPN Radio since 2015, starting on overnights, and eventually working his way up to morning drive with his father and Trey Wingo. He then made the move into afternoons in August of 2020. The afternoon show began with Chiney Ogwumike but became Canty and Golic Jr. after Ogwumike left radio in September of the following year.
No details were given regarding the separation. The New York Post reports that it was a matter of Golic’s contract ending. The paper’s source says that Mike Golic Jr was offered a new contract, but turned it down. BSM reached out to Golic, but he declined to comment.
ESPN Radio is now forced to deal with another lineup change. As the memo states, a series of co-hosts will rotate through to join Chris Canty for the time being. Whether that will be used to try out potential pairings or it’s a placeholder until a new voice is ready to join Canty full-time remains to be seen.
UPDATE: Golic Jr. commented on leaving ESPN in a series of tweets Tuesday afternoon.
“I came here young, dumb, and very insecure about how I’d be perceived for obvious reasons,” Golic said. “I cannot tell you how much even the smallest kindness meant to me then, and now.
“Thanks to ESPN, my coworkers, my bosses, anyone who ever listened to or watched anything I did.”
Big deal. I read an article that said he left because of what happened to his Dad. That was a year and a half ago.
When ESPN decided to go WOKE it went down hill fast. I stopped listening to ESPN when Golic Sr was let go.