NBC’s Yogi Roth wants to coach a couple million viewers every Saturday
Typed along the bottom of every broadcast board Yogi Roth carries into an NBC booth is a standing order to himself to celebrate the game and coach the viewer. Roth, now in his 19th year calling college football and his second season at NBC, composed that directive after leaving Pete Carroll’s staff at USC, where…
Yogi Roth, a 19-year veteran college football broadcaster with NBC, has a unique approach to his job. He describes himself as a coach to millions of viewers every Saturday. Roth left coaching at USC after four seasons, feeling a void in his life. To fill that void, he decided to coach his audience instead, treating them like players in a film session.
Each Sunday night, Roth spends time building a game plan for the following Saturday's broadcast, refining his strategies as the week progresses. He holds film sessions and gathers insights from sports information directors to anticipate the game's unfolding. Roth dedicates Wednesday mornings to an hour-long film study for the entire production crew, involving them in the process and getting their ideas before the game.
By Wednesday evening, he has polished his material and steps away from football to spend time with his family. On Thursday, he focuses on situational football, analyzing late-game and halftime decisions from around the country. Roth's passion for football began at a young age, thanks to NBC's Notre Dame broadcasts and his connection to the network through former Irish quarterback Ron Powlus.
He aspired to work for NBC, and when the opportunity arose, he seized it. NBC's central football identity impressed Roth, and he witnessed how their standards reached every telecast.
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