Stan Verrett has seen several changes lately. The Los Angeles edition of SportsCenter, which he co-anchored, signed off for the final time on May 19. Soon after that, it was revealed that Verrett will leave ESPN later this summer. The news was shocking when you consider that Verrett has been the Worldwide Leader in Sports for 25 years.
What’s next for Stan Verrett? We recently caught up with him to ask about the end of the West Coast version of SportsCenter and his plans. The 59-year-old said he isn’t done with broadcasting, and after his contract runs out this summer, you might see him back on the air sooner rather than later.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: Why is your time with ESPN coming to an end?
Stan Verrett: “The L.A. studio was closing and so it just didn’t make sense for me to go back to Bristol in terms of where my life is right now. For me, it wasn’t a career decision. It was a life decision. Even if there had been a renewal, that call for me to move back to Bristol, that’s not something I was interested in. It was totally amicable. There’s certainly no hard feelings on my end. I don’t think there are on their end. I had built a life out here in LA. I wanted to continue living here. And that didn’t work with what their future plans were.”
Has this time been difficult?
“It’s just one of those things where it’s business and industries change. If you operated a CD store years ago, and you were the best CD store operator in the world, it wouldn’t matter once people started downloading music. The other analogy that I’ve been using to explain it to people is that I’m a jockey, and I’m still a good rider, but my horse died. My horse was the L.A. SportsCenter. And so, I’ve gotta find another horse. I’m still a good jockey.”
How many people have you heard from since last week?
“I can’t even begin to count. Working in a studio, you have a sense that it’s ESPN and there are millions of people watching. But you do it every night, and there’s nobody in there but the technical people, the studio people, the camera operators, audio, and stage manager, that sort of thing. And so, when real flesh and blood human beings start reaching out to you and telling you how much they enjoyed what you do, it’s gratifying. It puts a punctuation mark on what I was able to do during my time at ESPN. I’ve been touched by some of the things people have said.”
Who are some of the people you heard from?
“I got a text from Jeremy Piven from Entourage. We have become friends. And from Charles Barkley, who has been a friend for years.”
What’s next for you?
“There are some tentative plans that I can’t talk about right now. The time will come when I can. There is some interest. I work with Sandy Montag, who is the best agent in the business. He’s convinced that my career’s got some life left. This is still really fresh. It’s still really new. I’m adjusting to it, playing a lot of golf. I’m in a position to retire if I choose to. That’s part of the reason I’m so grateful for the time I’ve had at ESPN because it changed my life. I could walk away right now, and I’d be fine.”
Have you reached out to fellow ESPNers and former colleagues about the transition?
“Not really. I became good friends with Adrian Wojnarowski, and he left a while back, rather abruptly. We talk about a lot of other things besides basketball or ESPN.
“I talk to Neil (Everett), because Neil and I were practically brothers from the time that we spent together. When you work with somebody every day for 16 years, your lives change during that time. I was there when his dad died and he was there when my dad died. We had some profound moments together dealing with those things. He got married since we’ve been at ESPN. I got married since we’ve been at ESPN. You develop a bond that extends beyond the workplace.”
When will your final day at ESPN be?
“I’m going to be around this summer for 50 states and 50 days. Other than that, I don’t know.
“(For SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days), I’m going to Montana. I’m going to Louisiana for the gymnastics championships at the Smoothie King Center. In Montana, I need more information about what I’m doing there. I have not (been to Montana). It’s one of the states I need to check off. That whole region, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Idaho, I’ve never really been to.”
What was the last L.A. edition of SportsCenter like?
“It was a celebration. It was wonderful. Look, there was a tinge of sadness because of the people who you got used to seeing every day, you got used to working with every day, and appreciating their brilliance. You’re not going to experience that anymore. But that was in the background. At the forefront was an appreciation for what we did.
“There had never been a daily SportsCenter anywhere else but Bristol. And so we set out on the West Coast in 2009 and put this show together. We made it work. We did a lot of things that we’re proud of. So, it was a celebration of that, the hard work, the creativity, and the professionalism of everybody.”
What does it mean to have been with ESPN for so long?
“I worked at ESPN for 25 years. I am extremely grateful for that time and for the rewards it has brought me because let’s say I continue working and go somewhere else. A part of the reason why any of those opportunities come my way is because of the time that I spent at ESPN. Nothing that happens moving forward is going to be unrelated to what I did at ESPN. I’m grateful for that opportunity and the chance to continue. I respected what it meant to be an anchor on SportsCenter. It was my dream job when I got it.”
When you’re officially done with ESPN, should sports fans expect to see you back on air soon?
“I would say yes, they should expect to see me back on air relatively soon because, like I said, I still have things that I want to do. I don’t feel like what we do is anything laborious. My job has never been that way. It’s always been something that I’ve enjoyed doing.”