Somerset, NJ - The Northeast Conference is pleased to announce the addition of a two-time Super Bowl champion to its broadcast booth for the upcoming football season.
The NEC reached an agreement with Kevin Gilbride to make the former NFL head coach the conference’s primary color commentator for the largest live coverage package in league history.
Gilbride, who spent 27 years in the National Football League, served as the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator from 2006 through 2013. His stint with the franchise included two Super Bowl championships (2007, 2011).
As he steps into the NEC booth, Gilbride will encounter a familiar face as Paul Dottino, a member of the New York Giants radio network, will serve as the conference’s lead play-by-play announcer for the 13th consecutive season.
"I am excited to become a part of the Northeast Conference,” said Gilbride, who spent the 2014 NFL season as a studio analyst for NBC Sports Network.
“This is the part of the country where I played my collegiate football and began my coaching career. I feel fortunate to now be a broadcaster for a brand of football I have great respect."
Gilbride will become the second Super Bowl champion to serve as the NEC’s primary color commentator. Longtime professional punter Jeff Feagles, who contributed to the Giants’ 2007 championship season, occupied the role for the 2013 campaign.
"The NEC has been fortunate to establish a Super Bowl connection with the New York Giants in the broadcast booth over the past three seasons - from punter Jeff Feagles to offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride,” said Noreen Morris, the Northeast Conference Commissioner. “The experience and knowledge that these men carry has only added credibility to the NEC’s on-air product.”
Prior to his New York Giants tenure, Gilbride occupied the offensive coordinator post for Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Oilers. He was the head coach of the San Diego Chargers in 1997 and 1998.
The Northeast Conference’s eight-game national live coverage schedule kicks off on October 10 and runs through November 21. ESPN3 will serve as the exclusive carrier for all eight contests as NEC Football can be seen on ESPN's live multi-screen sports network for the third consecutive season.
About the Northeast Conference
Entering its 35th year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 10 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 22 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Mount St. Mary's, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis Brooklyn, Saint Francis U and Wagner. Duquesne is an associate member of the NEC in the sport of football. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Google+, all @NECsports.