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.
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Wildhack (center) consults with Dick Vitale and Mike Patrick.
Photo by: MIKE SMELTZER / ESPN IMAGES
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“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
