Mike Golic thought his ESPN Radio career was over. Six years after signing off from the network he helped build into a national force, the Hall of Fame broadcaster is heading back. Beginning August 3, Golic and his son, Mike Golic Jr., will host The Golics weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET, taking over the time slot vacated following Clinton Yates’ departure in March.
Golic never imagined he’d have the opportunity to return. Despite enjoying more than two decades of success and earning induction into the Radio Hall of Fame with ESPN Radio, he felt the evolution of the format would prevent an opportunity to come back.
“I really didn’t [expect the call to return to come]. Me leaving there really had to do with a couple of executives. Everyone else, I got along incredibly well,” says Golic. “The evolution of sports talk and the younger generation churring through. I felt that was the route they would be going. Maybe I should have had an inkling when ESPN Radio brought back Rich Eisen. Maybe I shouldn’t have been as shocked. The old is new again.”
Following several stops during his time away from ESPN, Golic said he had multiple opportunities on the table after departing FanDuel Sports Network. Two involved working alongside his son, while another centered specifically on Mike Golic Jr.
However, he said the decision-making process did not take long. Both father and son viewed a return to ESPN Radio as their preferred destination throughout the process. The only significant consideration was finding a situation that would allow both Golics to continue their work outside of ESPN.
“It was really working through that process making sure we could continue doing the other stuff we were doing,” said Golic about deciding on his next step. “There’s a lot of that going on where someone may work for one company while doing something else at another. That took the longest through the process, but we were both chuckling thinking it’s kind of cool to come home again.”
Golic said he will continue calling NFL games for Westwood One this football season. That’s in addition to hosting the daily radio show from 10 a.m. to noon ET. As part of the arrangement, Golic Jr. will also continue working in his various roles outside ESPN Radio, including his television work with TNT Sports and his podcast with Sinclair Sports. Golic also notes he plans to take on another role outside ESPN that will be announced at a later date.
An Unexpected Call
When Golic & Golic was canceled earlier this year after only nine months on the air, the decision caught him by surprise. Golic said he did not expect the show to end so quickly as FanDuel Sports Network dealt with bankruptcy. However, a phone call from ESPN executive Mike Foss caught him even more off guard than the conclusion of his time with FanDuel Sports Network.
“It kind of took me by surprise when Mike Foss contacted us and asked if we were interested in the 10 a.m. to noon timeslot,” noted Golic, who explained Foss and Golic Jr.’s relationship dates back to when Foss produced digital programs from Golic Jr.’s home. “I’m not going to lie; it was a little shocking… The draw of the four letters, they just control so much in sports with the platform they have. Deep down, we both knew ESPN would be the right choice.”
Golic views the return to ESPN Radio as more of a continuation of his career than the start of a second act. Following the end of Mike & Mike in 2017, Golic partnered with Trey Wingo and later with his son until his final ESPN show aired in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For me, I missed the live [sports] radio experience,” said Golic. “That’s what I was used to for so long. Breaking news live. Talking about everything live. Getting instant reaction from the listening audience. Even with social media, the reaction was immediate. I always loved the live aspect and the immediacy of radio.”
The setup for The Golics will differ from Golic’s previous ESPN Radio experience. With Golic living in Arizona and Golic Jr. in Los Angeles, most shows will originate remotely. However, both believe being together in the same studio benefits the quality of the program.
Golic said the first week of the new show will air with both hosts in Los Angeles. Either from NFL Network or ESPN LA studios. There are also plans to return to Bristol during the first week of the NFL season. Over the next couple of weeks, Golic said he has several meetings scheduled with ESPN Radio executives to coordinate studio time whenever either he or Golic Jr. travels for outside commitments.
A Different ESPN Radio
Adapting to new surroundings is something Golic said he learned during his time away from ESPN. He contends radio is not dying but evolving while competing with more content options than ever before.
“Nothing is solely the thing like radio was, but it’s evolved. What I learned is you have to adapt and understand you have to be ready to pivot,” noted Golic. “FanDuel and DraftKings were more on-demand and streaming. It wasn’t radio. So, you need to do what you have to for the medium you’re on. With ESPN Radio, we’ll do a show that’s also a podcast afterwards. Six years was a long time, but it wasn’t a long time. The changes that have come about in the audio and video industry are incredible.”
Change is something Golic said he kept close attention to since leaving ESPN in 2020. Including the turnover within the ESPN Radio lineup. He called the amount of change over the past six years “unfortunate” but expressed optimism about the new lineup launching August 3.
“I always had an interest and kept an eye on all the changes that they made,” said Golic. “You have to have consistency. Find the combination of the daily lineup and hopefully let it mature. Radio is about content first, but there’s an intimacy with radio… You can’t keep changing it up. Hopefully this is a lineup that stays for a while. Letting people get used to these personalities.”
Embracing The Past Moving Forward
Golic said his approach beginning August 3 is not about “reinventing the wheel.” Instead, another opportunity to work alongside his son will build on what he considers the most rewarding experience of his career. He said he remains extremely proud of Golic Jr.’s work ethic and the way he has continued expanding his career across multiple platforms.
The return of Golic to ESPN Radio generated major buzz throughout the industry. Following the announcement, Golic said he received an outpouring of support and congratulatory messages, including texts from his longtime ESPN Radio partner of 17 years, Mike Greenberg.
Previously, both Golic and Greenberg have spoken publicly about the end of their Hall of Fame radio partnership and its aftermath. With Golic returning to ESPN, he understands speculation will naturally follow about a potential reunion.
“It would silly for me to ignore the past if it can become the present. To say that we wouldn’t cross paths, you never know,” said Golic about a possible opportunity to reunite with Greenberg. “I know Greeny stopped doing radio because of Get Up and everything else he’s doing. I would never say never. Obviously, not an every day show. That would never happen because he’s busy with his own show. But, I would never say never.”
Golic noted the two have stayed in touch occasionally since his departure from ESPN in 2020. Greenberg previously said to SiriusXM host Adam Schein in 2025 that he is definitely not finished with radio.
With two weeks remaining before his ESPN Radio return, Golic hopes listeners will embrace him once again. After spending more than two decades hosting four-hour morning shows, he joked that a two-hour midday program feels like “a breeze.” Although he never expected the opportunity to return, he hopes it will be the final chapter of his broadcasting career.
“I can do this for a while, but I’m not going to do it at the expense of people not wanting to listen to me anymore. If that becomes the case, where they feel I’m up there in age and it’s not rating well, I won’t be afraid to say if it’s not doing well I won’t be afraid to step away,” explained Golic. “How the show is received will dictate how much longer I’ll do it… Hopefully, I go a number of years with ESPN and my career ends where it started at ESPN. That would be kind of cool and very satisfying for me.”
For someone who never expected another opportunity to wear the ESPN logo, the return represents more than another job. It’s a chance to reconnect with an audience that followed him for decades and to finish his career on familiar ground. Beginning August 3, one of ESPN Radio’s original voices will once again be behind the microphone, this time alongside the next generation carrying the family name.
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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.