In early May, it was announced that the ESPN Radio Show "SVP & Russillo" featuring Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo was coming to an end, with Van Pelt moving on to host his own midnight SportsCenter show. It was unclear what was going to happen to Russillo, which was one half of the show. Well as of Thursday, we have an answer.
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ESPN announced that Russillo would be joined by ESPN college football analyst Danny Kanell for a new weekday show titled "Russillo & Kanell." The show is set to air weekdays from 1 to 4p.m. EST on ESPN Radio, and it will be syndicated on ESPNNews as well. The show's debut date is set for Monday, Aug. 31. According to ESPN Media Zone, Kanell will still host ESPN's college football studio coverage on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Russillo, who has been at ESPN for 10 years, made a statement about having Kanell as his new co-host.
"Danny is the perfect partner for an everyday radio show. Former athletes get labeled as one sport guys all the time based on what they played and that isn't fair. Danny can talk all sports and is one the best college football voices in the country. Staying with ESPN and this time slot is a challenge I have been ready for." Russillo said.
The ESPN press release also mentions that Russillo will have a much more expanded television presence across a variety of platforms, with a focus on NBA coverage.
Kanell has been a frequent guest co-host with Russillo in the weeks following Van Pelt's departure from the show. He first joined ESPN in 2010 — before that he worked at WQAM Miami and CBS4 Miami as an NFL and college football analyst.
Kanell was drafted by the New York Giants in 1996 after playing quarterback at Florida State for four years. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos until 2004.
While at Florida State, Kanell was voted the 1995 ACC Player of the Year and the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete. He is a member of the 2008 ACC Football Championship Legends Class, and was inducted into the Florida State Hall of Fame in the year 2012.
"I'm excited to work with Ryen on Russillo & Kanell. I've been a huge fan of his and enjoy listening to him on ESPN Radio. Spending time with him as a guest host has really allowed me to see just how good he is at his job." kanell said. "The show has a very unique and loyal fan base, with powerful social interaction. I know Ryen and I share a common goal of growing that fan base by continuing to deliver thoughtful and authentic content while having a ton of fun."
Prior to Russillo joining ESPN, he was a sports personality based in Boston, Mass. as a CSN studio host and NBA analyst. He also did radio work with Sporting News.
