Yahoo News Report: ESPN's search for new 'Monday Night Football' booth included offer to Sean McVay
ESPN ended up with a pretty uninspiring booth for “Monday Night Football,” but it wasn’t because they didn’t try.
There were the obvious big-name candidates, like Peyton Manning and Tony Romo, and they all turned down ESPN’s overtures. There was also at least one fairly crazy inquiry, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
ESPN asked Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay to join “MNF,” Marchand reported. Now that would have made some waves.
ESPN approached Sean McVay
McVay is still one of the biggest names in coaching, and just 34 years old. That didn’t stop ESPN from having a conversation with him about a broadcasting job, Marchand reported.
“ESPN executives think McVay could be a standout in the booth, somewhat like Jon Gruden,” Marchand wrote.
McVay didn’t leave the Rams for ESPN obviously, but the Post wrote that “it was left at that if McVay wants to leave coaching ESPN would be interested in having him in the booth.”
It never hurts to ask, but ESPN asking one of the league’s youngest and most successful coaches to give it all up for a broadcasting career before he hits 35 years old was bold, to say the least.
ESPN tried all options for ‘MNF’
ESPN seemingly tried everything for a new booth to replace Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland. They landed on Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick, and while all three of them are solid pros, none of them are exactly marketable stars.
“Monday Night Football” is a tough gig because people love ripping announcers and the “MNF” booth is perhaps the most visible in sports. Jason Witten and McFarland were ripped endlessly and lasted only one year each. That’s likely a reason ESPN had a hard time finding a big name to take the job.
That presumably wasn’t the case with McVay though. He already has a job, and a good one. But this confirms that if McVay wants, he has another career waiting for him after coaching.
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