Sean McDonough becomes play-by-play announcer for ‘Monday Night Football’

The Rams open the season against the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football,� and a new play-by-play announcer will be in place on the long-running broadcast.

ESPN announced Monday that Sean McDonough will replace Mike Tirico, who is joining NBC.

McDonough, 53, will be only the fifth person to handle play-by-play in the 46-year history of “Monday Night Football,� following Keith Jackson, Frank Gifford, Al Michaels and Tirico, who did the job the last 10 years.

“It really is the dream of a lifetime, especially growing up in my house,� McDonough, the son of the late print and television reporter Will McDonough, said during a teleconference.

McDonough has worked the World Series, the Olympics and the NCAA Final Four. He has also called college football and has worked NFL games for ESPN Radio since 2013.

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“When it became apparent that Mike [Tirico] would leave, we had a very, very short list and Sean was absolutely at the top of that list,� said John Wildhack, executive vice president of programming and production for ESPN.

McDonough will work alongside Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters.

“I have met Sean and I am excited about the opportunity to work with him,� Gruden said in a statement. “Like me, he comes from a family of three boys. Passion for sports has been a way of life for him and his brothers. He’s a seasoned pro, who’s called some of the biggest sporting events, including lots of football. I’m looking forward to getting started.�

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