ESPN Host Rich Eisen Issues Moving Tribute to Stuart Scot…

Rich Eisen returned to SportsCenter this week for the first time in more than two decades, and while the broadcast marked a milestone in his career, the longtime host made sure the spotlight shone on someone else—his late friend and co-host Stuart Scott.

Eisen, now 56, stepped back onto the ESPN set on August 18 and quickly turned emotional when reflecting on Scott, who died in 2015 at just 49 years old after a seven-year battle with appendiceal cancer, per PEOPLE.

The two anchored SportsCenter together from 1996 to 2003, creating a dynamic pairing that helped redefine the program. From Eisen’s comedic impressions to Scott’s unforgettable “boo-yah!” calls, their chemistry became a cultural touchstone for sports fans.

“It has been a blast being here tonight, but listen, we all know there should be someone else right here in this chair next to me,” Eisen said during the broadcast. “Right there, as he was for my seven years in the role. He referred to me as his TV wife, and that’s my dear late friend Stuart Scott, who is indeed looking over my shoulder tonight.”

Eisen went on to imagine how Scott might react to the current state of sports.

“I frequently think of Stuart a lot and what he might think of the sports headlines today,” he said, pointing to storylines ranging from Bill Belichick coaching at his alma mater to LeBron James still dominating at 40 with 40,000 career points.

He even pictured Scott sitting alongside Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley when Inside the NBA moves to ESPN this fall.

The return carried added weight as Eisen prepares for The Rich Eisen Show to debut on Disney and ESPN platforms in September.

Still, he was clear about what mattered most on that stage: “He should be in that chair with me, with us tonight.”