Sean McDonough '84

At ESPN, McDonough serves as a lead play-by-play commentator across multiple sports. He has called college football and basketball for decades, as well as golf’s PGA Championship and the Masters Par 3 Contest. Since 2021, he has been the lead voice for the NHL on ESPN and ABC, including the Stanley Cup Final. His versatility also took him to the Monday Night Football booth, where he was the play-by-play announcer for two seasons.

Beyond ESPN, McDonough was the television voice of the Boston Red Sox, where his calls earned him four New England Emmy Awards. He has also worked World Series broadcasts, NCAA Final Fours, and Olympic Games.

Graduating from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, McDonough’s path to becoming one of the most respected voices in sports began at WAER, where he gained early experience calling games. That training ground gave him the foundation to move quickly into professional broadcasting, launching a career that has spanned some of the biggest stages in sports. In addition to the WAER Hall of Fame, he has also been inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.