Kirk Herbstreit Reacts to His Son Landing New Job

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Wadleigh | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 1:46 PM ET

The 2025 college football season is right around the corner, and there are a lot of storylines going into this season.

On Monday, some big news dropped in the sports media world with Zak Herbstreit, the son of Kirk Herbstreit, landing a job with On3 as a National College Football Analyst.

Zak Herbstreit will be the host of Off Script with Zak Herbstreit, which will have "in-depth conversations with players, coaches, and prominent voices" as well as "unique breakdowns" of the biggest happenings in the sport.

It's quite the move for Zak Herbstreit, and his father is a well-known face off the sport due to his long-time role as a personality on ESPN's College GameDay.

After the news came, Kirk Herbstreit had a proud father moment and had a message for his son.

Kirk Herbstreit's Heartwarming Reaction After Zak's New Job

Shortly after On3 dropped the update on X, Kirk Herbstreit took to X with a congratulations message for his son.

"Congratulations on this opportunity Zak! Can’t wait to see you work hard and grow in this space! Go gettem!!"

It's a great opportunity for Zak, and it gives him a chance to start following in his father's footsteps in the sports media industry.

On3 Founder and CEO Shannon Terry released a statement as part of the official release on Zak's hiring.

“Zak has tremendous natural talent and has grown up immersed in college sports. His ability to connect with today’s college stars will bring a fresh and authentic perspective to the On3 network. He’ll be traveling each week to the biggest games across the country, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at everything that makes Saturdays the greatest day in sports.”

Who is Zak Herbstreit?

Zak Herbstreit played tight end for Ohio State during his college days. Unfortunately, he was forced to retire due to a heart-related condition.

Despite that, he still remained in Columbus as a student coach to try and help the team as best as he could all the way through the 2024 College Football Playoff national title run.

He played high school football at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennesseebefore going to Ohio State, which is also Kirk's alma mater.

So, while Kirk Herbstreit continues his role on part of ESPN's College GameDay, his son will now have his own show on On3.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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