Mike Tirico, Stephen A. Smith debut on ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio (locally on Jox 930) has filled Dan Patrick’s time slot with contrasting styles, the mild-mannered Mike Tirico from noon to 2 p.m. and the often-excitable Stephen A. Smith from 2 to 3 p.m. Tirico made his debut Thursday, and Smith will debut on Monday.

“SportsCenter” anchor Scott Van Pelt will join Tirico’s show on a regular basis and serve as substitute host while Kirk Herbstreit and Michele Tafoya will also be regular contributors.

Tirico, the voice of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and one of the original hosts when ESPN Radio launched in 1992, is excited about his return to radio.

“I do participate in the sports conversation every day by covering the NFL and the NBA and all the college sports that I’ve covered and my years doing ‘SportsCenter’ and golf as well,” he said. “I really do have a broad experience and have met a lot of people.”

Tirico said Patrick set a high standard for the time slot.

“Dan has made the time slot a very good time slot and a very attractive time slot. Will the show be the same? I don’t think so. I think it will be a little different. We are different people. The time slot has seen the expectations raised by the quality of guests and the quality of people on and I hope we can take it forward from where Dan brought it.”

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