ESPN Makes Big Changes To 2012 On Air NCAA Talent

But as the old saying goes, “All good things must come to an end” as ESPN is making wholesale changes to their on air talent for the upcoming season.  Gone are Andrews, Davis, and Gottlieb, with former Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl, Michigan Fab Fiver and NBA star Jalen Rose, and longtime Virtginia Tech head man Seth Greenberg in as replacements.

While some may have found the always perky Andrews a bit whiney for their tastes, she was more than just a pretty face as she was more than capable of engaging in an interview with even the smarmiest of coaches and seemed to have a genuine love for the game.  Erin has been an ABC correspondent for Good Morning America since 2010 and has officially left ESPN for supposed greener pastures with Fox Sports.  She will host her very own 30 minute college football pregame show and also serve as sideline reporter for MLB and NFL brodcasts.

One of my personal favorites, Doug Gottlieb is also leaving for another network, this time to CBS, and will serve as a studio and in-game analyst for CBS Sports’ coverage of regular-season college basketball and joint coverage with Turner Sports of the NCAA basketball tournament.  He will also get his own afternoon show on CBS Sports Radio.  Like him or not, his detailed analysis from a player’s perspective was as informative as any commentator on the ESPN roster.  There’s no doubt his sometime public feud with Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim over non-conference scheduling may have helped wear out his welcome with the Entertainment and Sports Leader.

In his 4 short years on ESPN, Hubert Davis was always the voice of reason versus the always right Jay Bilas on College Gameday.  He helped bring the longtime Duke-North Carolina rivalry to the masses opposite Bilas, a former Coach K disciple and Blue Devils player in the early 80’s.  Hubert has decided to enter the coaching ranks as an assistant with his alma mater UNC Tarheels.

Despite a recent DUI arrest in early 2010, Jalen Rose has been tabbed as Davis’ immediate replacement on College Gameday.  While the Duke(Bilas) vs Rose(Michigan) rivalry is also a good one, the two players played in different eras and won’t have the same fun natured debates as with Davis.  It will be interesting to see how old school coach Bob Knight interacts with Rose as Jalen represented the type of player that “The General” despised.  In all honesty, Rose has been an up-and-coming NBA analyst on the network for some time as a regular guest on SportsCenter and ESPN radio over the past few seasons and will inject some youth into the program.  Let’s face it, the old Digger dancing skit is getting a bit old.

Former Hokies coach Seth Greenberg had apparently succeeded in his audition as on air commentator during last year’s NCAA Tournament and is another knowledgeable winning ball coach that adds legitimacy to the network.  But the real get has to be the wild-child personality that is Bruce Pearl.  Although his recruiting methods came into question at Tennessee resulting in his firing as head coach in 2011, Pearl’s passion and knowledge of the college game has never been an issue.  As a coach, Pearl was the 2nd fastest to reach 300 wins in NCAA history and led the Volunteers to their first ever #1 ranking but he’s probably best known for his often outlandish behavior like when he felt up Erin Andrews and appeared courtside at a Lady Vols game shirtless and covered in orange paint to cheer on Pat Summitt.  Looks like it’s game on Digger…..

Check out Bruce Pearl rapping in 2009: