Play like a champion today. The saying used by former Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz was set to inspire his players to perform to their absolute best when they hit the field for the Fighting Irish. Mike Golic Jr. wore the green and gold for four years in South Bend, IN, and still has passion for his alma mater to this day. So much so, the former player turned broadcaster has begun a new path to continue playing like a champion with a new podcast called The Echoes: A Podcast on Notre Dame.
“We want to take you under the helmet and inside the huddle, but also in the message boards,” said Golic Jr., reflecting on the focus for the new podcast with Sinclair Media. “I think we’ll have a lot of bases covered in the way that should be fun.”
The 35-year-old Golic Jr. is no stranger to working in sports media, calling himself a former undrafted free agent still to this day. He shares the same name as his father, whom he has followed in his professional footsteps, beginning his sports media journey at ESPN Radio. Now, nearly a decade later, he explained how those connections in Bristol, CT, led to an opportunity with The Echoes.
“I talked to Rich Cooke [Vice President, Sinclair Inc.] about it a little bit at the Super Bowl this year about what they were trying to put together,” said Golic Jr. “For me, Notre Dame is always something I’m very passionate about. It’s such a big part of my friendship with Jessica [Smetana], who is a monster Notre Dame fan in her own right.”
Smetana, also a Notre Dame graduate, serves as a co-host on The Echoes alongside Golic Jr. Both have navigated the sports media gauntlet over their careers with several stops along the way but were brought together through their love for everything Notre Dame. Smetana previously worked with Mike Golic Sr. when both senior and junior moved away from ESPN to the DraftKings Network in 2022.
“Jess [Smetana] is such an easy hang on air. I’ve always joked that there are certain people that just get you comfortable in those settings,” said Golic Jr. “Having that background and friendship, especially in this area for so long, it was like we have done it plenty of times before.”
Navigating Through an Active Year In 2025
It has been an eventful 2025 so far for Mike Golic Jr. He began the year hosting with his father on GoJo & Golic through the DraftKings Network but left as their contracts were not renewed. Following a couple of months in search of his next steps, an opportunity came about through FanDuel Sports Network and former ESPN executive Norby Williamson.
Golic & Golic was announced in late April as the latest edition of the father-and-son combo returning to work together. The show debuted in June, serving as the cornerstone of the network’s weekday afternoon lineup.
“It’s been a lot of learning for me ever since February 2022 when I left ESPN. That had been a place that I had known my entire life,” said Golic Jr. “I got to ESPN, and layoffs had never been a reality during my dad’s career. I think we had five rounds of layoffs in the six years that I was there. We’ve seen it industry-wide. I really try not to take for granted the fact that I have people that are still willing to give me opportunities in an industry where there are fewer of those with each passing year.”
While this isn’t his first time creating content on television, Golic Jr. noted it’s the first time he’s producing content for television in a long time. He says this is the first television show he’s worked on where he’s working off a shot sheet and other elements that he saw his colleagues at ESPN use. Golic Jr. credits the amount of support the program has received from FanDuel Sports Network and is cherishing the opportunity to once again share the stage with his father.
“The opportunity to keep working with Dad has been awesome in this new setting. I’ve seen him fired up about how it’s going and having a lot of fun with it,” said Golic Jr. “Coming into my career, getting to work with my dad meant something different than it does now. I have more of an appreciation. We got to do it at ESPN, and then that opportunity was taken away from us when Golic & Wingo ended. We weren’t sure if we were going to get it back.”
Golic Jr. understands the uniqueness of the position both he and his father are in as they get another opportunity to work together. He says the plan for him is to continue working with his father while also branching out and navigating his own opportunities for his career, such as The Echoes.
“As long as we’ve got that opportunity to do it, people are still enjoying that, and still want to give us an opportunity, we’re going to take it and run with it,” said Golic Jr. “I will have plenty of time in my career where that is no longer an option, and that’s not something I get to do.”
Adapting To The Changing Sports Media Field of Play
There has been much change in the sports media landscape during the past decade. For Golic Jr., his journey has led him to opportunities in both traditional and non-traditional media settings. From ESPN and DraftKings to FanDuel Sports Network and his new podcasting venture with Sinclair, the understanding of having a lot of tools in the toolbox to survive is always top of mind.
“The thing I learned early on about all the different platforms is you’ve got to be different things on each one of those. That’s the challenge that was always fun to me,” referenced Golic Jr. “The connective tissue between those of us who cover sports and the fans should always kind of be at the heart of all of this, no matter what the platform is.”
With more fans flocking to independent creators over traditional broadcast networks for sports content, Golic Jr. understands that connection well. He recalled the gratification in seeing the number of messages and stories his father received following his exit from ESPN Radio as an example of that. With the ease of entry at an all-time low, Golic Jr. notes that change is constant in sports media, with licensing deals becoming more the norm with independent creators.
“Podcasting and YouTube — all these places where people can get grassroots reps on their own — are becoming viable pipelines for talent,” said Golic Jr. “I still hope that there are places for people to continue to develop inside the walls, like the opportunities that I have. Things change all the time in terms of the process that leads to the results that people all want at the end of the day, which is entertainment. Hopefully this does show a viable path for independent creators.”
Always humble and never taking any opportunity for granted, Mike Golic Jr. is excited and thankful for finding another day with a new possibility to connect with a place he considers a second home in South Bend — a chance to play like a champion once again.
“Years ago, Bomani Jones always made this abundantly clear: You win with quality no matter what. You’ve got to make sure that when people tune in, they’re going to have a good time and they’re going to learn something,” said Golic Jr. “Our plan is to be able to zoom the lens out. We understand the thru line is always going to be Notre Dame football. That’s the ‘big dog’ on campus. Football is king, but our hopes are getting to kind of share in the entire Notre Dame experience with everybody.”
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
