ESPN is taking a three-pronged approach to replace Chris Berman on its NFL coverage, with two of the hires not surprising and one a bit outside the box.
Suzy Kolber, who has been involved in ESPN's NFL coverage for more than a decade, takes over as host of the Monday night football studio show, which will originate from the site of the game.
Kolber had been the on-site host since 2015, with Berman anchoring the pregame show from ESPN's studios and hosting the halftime segment. Kolber now takes over all of those responsibilities.
Kolber's appointment makes sense, as does ESPN's decision to have longtime second- and third-day NFL draft host Trey Wingo also replace Berman as host of the first day of the draft.
The most intriguing development, which has been rumored for weeks, was ESPN's decision to tab college football sideline reporter Samantha Ponder as the host of the Sunday NFL Countdown pregame show, a role Berman had held for three decades.
Ponder has appeared as a host of the network's College Football Live, but ESPN executives believe she has enormous potential as an NFL host.
"I couldn't be more grateful to be a part of the Sunday NFL Countdown family," said Ponder, who is married to NFL quarterback Christian Ponder. "There is no such thing as replacing Chris Berman, but the chance to build on his incredible legacy while simultaneously taking new risks to serve NFL fans is the opportunity of a lifetime."
ESPN has never explained why it chose to dramatically reduce Berman's role, and Berman told the Miami Herald he is both melancholy but also at peace about stepping aside. Berman will contribute historical pieces to Monday Night Countdown and handle a few other assignments.
On splitting Berman's NFL role among three people, ESPN executive Stephanie Druley said: "We have three exceptional hosts in Suzy, Sam and Trey, who will usher in this new era of NFL studio coverage on ESPN," said Stephanie Druley, ESPN Senior Vice President, Studio and Event Production. "They each have a unique style and approach, yet they all share a passion for the game of football that is evident to viewers. We look forward to this group being the face of our NFL studio coverage for many years ahead on ESPN."
