Menu
Media

Alum sees good fit for Wildhack

News that John Wildhack is leaving ESPN after 36 years to become Syracuse’s athletic director was a big topic among sports business executives last week. I asked Syracuse alum Sandy Montag what the school should expect from his friend Wildhack, who started with ESPN in 1980.

Wildhack (center) consults with Dick Vitale and Mike Patrick.
Photo by: MIKE SMELTZER / ESPN IMAGES
“John is a guy who already is part of the Syracuse community,” Montag said. “He’s someone who knows what Syracuse has to do to succeed.”

Montag, who sits on the advisory board of the school’s sports management program with Wildhack, pointed to the ESPN executive’s sports relationships and experience as beneficial to Syracuse.

“John has a huge Rolodex and tremendous relationships with the heads of every major league and conference in the country,” Montag said. “This is a really good hire for both parties.”

Expect ESPN to announce Wildhack’s replacement before his last day, July 28. I expect ESPN President John Skipper to divide Wildhack’s responsibilities among several current executives, including programming head Burke Magnus, “SportsCenter” head Rob King and ESPN Films head Connor Schell, among others.

— John Ourand

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2016/07/11/Media/Wildhack-Syracuse.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2016/07/11/Media/Wildhack-Syracuse.aspx

CLOSE