Sports commentary and political commentary used to be like oil and water—separated and never intertwined for the audience to consume. They stayed in their lanes and rarely, if ever, crossed paths. Today is a much different time, where sports and politics are more like Kool-Aid mixed with water, constantly finding ways to intersect, with passionate discourse on both sides. Dan Dakich finds himself at the intersection of these discussions with his daily program Don’t @ Me on the OutKick network.
“I’m not a journalist, although I studied telecommunications when I was in college. I’m an entertainer,” said Dakich when asked what the OutKick consumer demands from content. “Sure, it’s about sports, and I’ll give you information. I’m also going to try and entertain by giving you insight from a perspective that you don’t get anywhere. OutKick is no different.”
Dakich joined OutKick in November 2021 after leaving his role as a college basketball analyst with ESPN, which he held for a decade. Following the departure of several of his colleagues, Dakich says ESPN losing the rights to the Big Ten signaled that his time at the network was up.
“I wanted to leave ESPN. When Mike Tirico, Allison Williams, and several others were gone… I didn’t enjoy it,” explained Dakich. “I was the luckiest guy in the world because I didn’t work with guys that had egos. Play-by-play guys trying to make it about them—I worked with established guys.”
Finding Liberation at Outkick
What drew Dakich’s interest in OutKick was his appreciation for founder Clay Travis. While he admittedly didn’t know what to expect when he joined the outlet, he’s been impressed with the freedom OutKick provides in content creation.
“The group at OutKick is beyond anything that I thought,” said Dakich. “It’s been a freaking blast and liberating.”
Dakich has never shied away from political commentary. His father pivoted from being a schoolteacher to a union lobbyist for the teacher’s union. Growing up in Indiana, Dakich was a daily reader of local newspapers and always paid attention to the political landscape on both the local and national levels.
Over his time at ESPN, he admitted that calling games became boring, but he found an interest in participating in the political discourse of the country.
“We’re not afraid to address politics, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to go to OutKick,” noted Dakich. “OutKick’s audience has expectations—you can talk about politics, and it’s accepted.”
Don’t @ Me is a two-hour program filled with sports and political commentary, sprinkled with interviews featuring figures from around the country. Built on Dakich’s strong opinions, the goal of the program remains entertainment.
However, Dakich’s background is rooted in the sports arena.
Pivoting to Media
Before his days at ESPN, he was a four-year student-athlete under head coach Bobby Knight. He served as Indiana’s team captain during his junior and senior seasons at Indiana University, then became the first graduate assistant coach under Knight for the Hoosiers. Twenty-three seasons later, Dakich was an established head coach, accustomed to dealing with media from a player/coach standpoint.
He saw opportunity in his experience after leaving the college game.
“I’ve been in the public spotlight since I was 17 years old,” explained Dakich. “I always thought to myself if I ever go into sports media, I’m not going to say something just to say something. I just rail on them [sports media] because I know how dishonest they are.”
As much as he felt targeted by false stories and criticism as a player and coach, Dakich has also created controversial headlines as a member of the media.
An admitted non-journalist, Dakich was suspended in 2019 from his highly rated sports radio program on 93.5/107.5 The Fan for not adhering to “journalistic principles valued by Emmis.” His no-nonsense approach also landed him in hot water in 2020 with Emmis after he responded to the firing of a high school basketball coach.
Dakich eventually exited his radio show on The Fan in 2022.
“Screw it, I don’t really care [about what sports media perceives about him]. I’m not going to be one of those guys that disrespects the job and lies to just get a story or get a reaction,” explained Dakich about criticism of his own sports media career.
Grading Stephen A. Smith
One aspect of the sports media landscape that piques Dakich’s interest is how many sports personalities are entering the political commentary lane—something he accomplished by joining OutKick four years ago.
One name that has caught his eye is ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, who hosts First Take for ESPN and a political talk show for SiriusXM radio.
“He’s been brilliant,” explained Dakich. “He’s become a useful idiot for the Republican Party and has become a guy that has figured out how to appease the Democratic Party.”
Dakich is quick to applaud Smith for balancing the two focus points of his media career: hosting First Take on ESPN while also tackling political commentary across other networks.
“I think he’s doing a wonderful job,” said Dakich. “Media finds people they can use to put on shows. Someone who will give their side or know where they stand on an issue. He’s been brilliant.”
A Return To Indy
As impressed as Dakich is with Smith’s balancing act, he doubles his own media approach every weekday. In January 2024, Dakich returned to Indianapolis sports radio as the midday host on 1430 Indy’s Sports Ticket. The program airs an hour after his OutKick show ends. Dakich switches back to an all-sports format while leaving politics at the door.
While politics does creep into the discourse from time to time, the show allows him to connect with Indy sports fans as he always has.
“People ask me all the time how I talk for five hours a day. I really don’t know, but it’s not hard,” said Dakich. “I feel like it’s the easiest job in America.”
Now, two years after joining the station, Dakich remains the lone local personality on 1430AM. While he appreciates the opportunity to talk directly to Indianapolis sports fans, he wishes there were more growth for the show and station.
“We need to do better. We’re very limited,” said Dakich. “There’s not a lot of money. What I want to do is get the station to a point where people want to come to work there… AM radio has a place on your dial if you’re driving, but it’s not the destination it was. It’s even less than it was in the last three years for whatever reason.”
Future Plans
While Dakich continues to entertain audiences locally and nationally, he doesn’t see a return to the analyst’s chair in his future. Since leaving ESPN in 2021, Dakich admittedly hasn’t tried to get back into the role, feeling he’s too political for networks to consider. His final days with ESPN left a lasting impression of how much the role changed.
However, he hasn’t lost the passion for the job.
“I would like to return,” said Dakich. “I would love to go back and do the games. Talking to coaches and breaking down the games, but I like being with the people more. I would do it if I had a group of people that I was looking forward to being with.”
While a return to the analyst role may be distant, Dakich is excited about continuing his work with OutKick. He hopes to stay around following the conclusion of his current contract with the outlet, which ends in March 2026.
“My contract is up in March, so we’ll see. I hope they want to re-sign me. I think we’ve been pretty good,” said Dakich.
Sitting at the intersection of sports and politics is where Dan Dakich hopes to remain, with an outlet that gave new life to a liberated Hoosier soul.
“I love what I’m doing, the people, and the freedom. I don’t plan on going anywhere, unless they tell me,” exclaimed Dakich. “I’m at an age where f**k it. If they do, then I’ll go lay on a beach somewhere.”
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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.
