UPDATED: WWE Announces Bruce Prichard as New Executive Director of Smackdown, Eric Bischoff No Longer With WWE

UPDATED: Fightful reports that Eric Bischoff is no longer with WWE in any capacity following the news today that Bruce Prichard will be replacing him as the Executive Director of Smackdown.

ORIGINAL: Well, that only took less than four months. WWE officially announced today that Bruce Prichard has been named as the new Executive Director of Friday Night Smackdown. Under this role, he will be reporting directly to WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon. You can check out the full announcement below.

According to the announcement, Prichard is replacing former Smackdown Executive Director Eric Bischoff. Bischoff was previously announced in the role in late June. With the assignment, Prichard is set to oversee “creative development” for Smackdown on FOX. Prichard had already been working for the promotion after rejoining the company’s creative team earlier this year.

WWE® NAMES BRUCE PRICHARD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOROF SMACKDOWN®

Stamford, Conn., October 15, 2019 – WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it has named Bruce Prichard the Executive Director of Friday Night SmackDown, reporting directly to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon.

Prichard will oversee the creative development of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX and ensure integration across all platforms and lines of business, replacing Eric Bischoff.

Prichard brings nearly 40 years of experience in sports entertainment with an extensive background in character development and creative storytelling. Over the course of his career, Prichard has served in a variety of roles including announcer, producer, agent and on-screen personality. Earlier this year, Prichard returned to WWE as a member of the company’s creative team.

Friday Night SmackDown airs at 8 pm ET/PT on FOX.