GET READY FOR THE WHEELHOUSE!
ESPN Houston's highly anticipated new afternoon show debuts Monday
Aug 13, 2021, 12:20 pm
GET READY FOR THE WHEELHOUSE!
Sports talk stations ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 are shaking up their on-air schedule and host lineup Monday in bold moves that will rattle the Houston radio market. The simulcast FM tandem will introduce two new shows, four new personalities, move some pieces to new time slots and put a fresh coat of paint on the stations' sound.
Here's the new lineup: John Granato and Lance Zierlein from 7-10 a.m., followed by Charlie Pallilo in his earlier 10-noon slot. Afternoons get underway with Joel Blank and new partner Jeremy Branham hosting The Killer B's show from noon to 3 p.m. Perhaps the biggest difference maker will be an all-new show called The Wheelhouse from 3-7 p.m.
The Wheelhouse will be hosted by Jake Asman, Cody Stoots and Brad Kellner, three younger guys whose energy and perspectives on sports will be unique on Houston airwaves. Owner David Gow must have lots of confidence in the trio – he's given them the cleanup spot, batting fourth with the longest show on the schedule.
"In addition to being strong in radio, they are very digitally savvy. They do a great job of taking the content that they create and pushing it out over all the different platforms. These guys are content creators who will reach audiences in many different ways," Gow said.
The Wheelhouse guys will take over the afternoon drive slot from The Blitz, formerly hosted by A.J. Hoffman and Fred Faour. The Blitz ran for more than a decade, which is forever plus eternity in radio years. The show effectively ended when Hoffman left the fold last month for a position with a gambling enterprise in Las Vegas. Faour will stay with ESPN Houston as a roving betting analyst, popping up regularly on the other shows.
Let's take a closer look at the three hosts of The Wheelhouse.
Jake Asman's first job out of college was a producer for sports radio WFAN in New York. He moved to Houston in 2018 to start work on ESPN 97.5 and 92.5's sister property, the national SportsMap network.
SportsMap: How will you approach being part of a team on The Wheelhouse rather than your previous experience hosting a national show by yourself?
Jake Asman: Our show is going to be very collaborative. Cody, BK, and I all will have a voice in the direction the show will go. We want to make sure that if someone has a strong opinion that day or a unique angle to take on a topic, or a great segment idea that we follow through on it. Our goal is to create entertaining, informative, and high-energy radio that the city will embrace. The three of us plus our producer Andrew Carlson are going to make sure that we are always prepared, talking about the topics that people in this city care about, and providing a unique listener experience.
Cody Stoots, in addition to having the most Texas-sounding name ever, grew up in Houston and was Intern of the Year once at ESPN 97.5 and 92.5. He worked at "Double T 104.3" (the most Texas-sounding radio station ever), got his degree in journalism, and returned to Houston in 2014 to get his career moving. He's also worked for Sports Illustrated and the Outkick network.
SportsMap: Tell me about your vision for The Wheelhouse. Will you guys carve out distinct roles or will it be a free-for-all?
Cody Stoots: I think I am pretty funny but unfortunately I think Brad will be the funny one. He's had us rolling since we met him. I would say whoever has the juice each day is going to be the one to get us going. Some days that may be one of us and some days we will all be ready to get after it from the start. We are going to play off each other and have fun talking about what our listeners talk about.
Brad Kellner was born in Kansas but, as the saying goes, got to Texas as fast he could. Well, he was 5-years-old, when his family moved to Dallas. He went to the University of Texas and began his radio career as morning show producer at AM 1300 The Zone in Austin. A year later he moved 104.9 The Horn, the flagship home for UT sports, where he worked his way up to afternoon drive host.
SportsMap: Houston and Austin are 150 miles and worlds apart. Tell me about your learning curve of Houston sports.
Brad Kellner: My mom is from Houston and my dad is from Galveston. Houston has always felt a little bit like home to me. Most of my extended family lives around Houston and I spent a lot of my youth down here. I have always supported and kept up with the Clutch City sports teams. There are a ton of Houston fans in Austin, so I have been talking about the Texans, Astros and Rockets on the air for a number of years. I am excited for the opportunity to focus on these teams and attend more games, practices and events in person.
Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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