ESPN has drafted producer Jay Rothman and director Chip Dean for its Monday Night Football coverage beginning Fall 2006.
The pair has worked together on ESPN’s Sunday Night Football since 2001 and will continue as the producer-director team throughout the 2005 season. The 2006 season of Monday Night Football represents their 16th consecutive year together on football telecasts. On ABC Sports, the duo worked on three college football national championships. While on ESPN, they’ve put together men’s college basketball games, the NFL draft, the X Games, 1994 FIFA World Cup and Major League Baseball games.
“Jay and Chip are a remarkably talented and accomplished production team,” said Mark Shapiro, ESPN executive vice president, programming and production.“They represent the best combination for the storied Monday Night Football franchise.”
Rothman joined ESPN in 1987 as an associate producer and now oversees the network’s production of the NFL draft. He’s held a producer title with ABC from 1997 to 2000 on regular season college football and post-season Fiesta, Rose and Orange Bowls. While at ABC, he also crossed over to produce the NFL draft and X Games events for ESPN.
Dean joined ESPN in 1979, just two months after its initial launch and has been involved in the ESPYs, X Games, Women’s Final Four, Wednesday Night Baseball and men’s college basketball, including the ACC and BIG East Tournaments.
Last April, ESPN and the NFL reached an eight-year agreement to move the league’s signature series to ESPN beginning with the 2006 season – concluding Monday Night Football’s 36-year run on ABC this year.
