Mike Tirico | |
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Born |
Michael Todd Tirico December 13, 1966 Queens, New York |
Education | Syracuse University |
Occupation | Announcer, Studio Host |
Years active | 1988–present |
Employer |
ESPN (1991–2016) NBC Sports (2016–present) |
Spouse(s) | Debbie Tirico (wife) |
Children | 2 |
Michael Todd "Mike" Tirico (/tᵻˈriːkoʊ/; born December 13, 1966) is an American sportscaster. He is perhaps best known for his ten-year run as an NFL play-by-play announcer on ESPN's Monday Night Football from 2006 to 2015. Tirico called a multitude of programming for ESPN/ABC, including NBA basketball, golf, and tennis. He was also one of the anchors of ESPN's coverage of the FIFA World Cup, along with Bob Ley.
Tirico left ESPN when his contract expired in the summer of 2016, and was subsequently hired by NBC Sports. Tirico's first on-air appearance on an NBC property came during the 2016 Open Championship on Golf Channel, serving as a studio host. Although it was reported that NBC had intended Tirico to serve as the lead play-by-play for newly acquired portion of the Thursday Night Football package, contractual obligations required the positions to be filled by NBC's existing Sunday Night Football broadcast team. However, Tirico would call a limited schedule of games from both packages in the 2016 season, primarily as a substitute for lead commentator Al Michaels, along with several Notre Dame college football games to fill in for Dan Hicks.