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Update:
New reports confirm that Scott Van Pelt will indeed take over ESPN’s new Monday Night Countdown crew, according to Andrew Marchand.
Ryan Clark, Robert Griffin III and Marcus Spears will join him.
NEWS: Marcus Spears, Ryan Clark and RGIII will join host Scott Van Pelt on ESPN's new Monday Night Countdown, The Post has learned.
Story will be up soon.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) August 21, 2023
Original Story:
ESPN has selected Scott Van Pelt as the new host for NFL’s Monday Night Countdown, the pregame show for Monday Night Football, according to Richard Deitsch of TheAthletic.
The position became vacant when Suzy Kolber, a longtime studio host for ESPN, was laid off as part of a major restructuring that resulted in approximately 20 veteran employees losing their jobs.
In the round of layoffs, ESPN reportedly let go of Kolber, Steve Young, Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, Jalen Rose, Todd McShay, Matt Hasselbeck, David Pollack, Andre Ward, Doug Kezirian, Ashley Brewer, Joon Lee, LaPhonso Ellis, Nick Friedell, Jordan Cornette, Gene Wojciechowski and Jason Fitz.
Scott Van Pelt, who currently hosts the late-night SportsCenter following Monday Night Football, was chosen for the role over Laura Rutledge, the other internal candidate ESPN had considered.
With this new responsibility, Van Pelt will now be the face of both the pregame and postgame shows for ESPN’s most popular program, Monday Night Football.
The selection of Scott Van Pelt as the host for Monday Night Countdown marks a significant step in ESPN’s efforts to reshape its lineup and cater to its audience during the football season.
Fans can look forward to seeing Van Pelt bring his expertise and charm to enhance the football viewing experience on Monday nights.