ESPN Anchor Bob Ley Retires After 40 Years

– Bob Ley’s legendary 40-year career is at an end, as the ESPN anchor has announced his retirement. Ley announced his retirement on Twitter, thanking ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro and ESPN’s team for “their understanding and patience over the past months.”

Ley began work as an anchor on ESPN’s SportsCenter on September 9th, 1979, which was the third day of the sports network’s lifespan. Since then, he has had a 40 year career that included hosting the NCAA selection show, the NFL Draft broadcast, hosting Outside the Lines and more. His tenure saw him become the recipient of 11 Sports Emmy Awards, the 2014 DuPont Award and four Edward R. Murrow Awards. He was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame just this week after taking a leave of absence in October.

Pitaro said of the announcement in a statement, “The standard of excellence that has become a hallmark of ESPN began in the early days when we were a startup with a bold vision. Bob was there for all of it and, over the years, his unwavering commitment and unparalleled work ethic drove our journalistic ambitions. The best way we can thank Bob for what he’s meant to ESPN and to sports fans is to continue to uphold the journalistic integrity and principles he’s instilled in ESPN for nearly 40 years.”

Ley said that his retirement is official at the end of the month, noting, “To be clear, this is entirely my decision. I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change.” His full statement is below:

Too many folks to thank individually, right now, but know that I have you all in my mind and my heart. Some news to share: pic.twitter.com/Qydhpcy4MV

— Bob Ley (@BobLeyESPN) June 26, 2019