Norby Williamson departs ESPN after a tenure spanning nearly four decades

ESPN executive Norby Williamson will leave the sports network after broadcaster Pat McAfee accused him of "sabotage" in a recent on-air rant.

ESPN president of content Burke Magnus informed colleagues Friday of the change.

“I am reaching out with some important news. Norby Williamson will be leaving the company today after nearly 40 years of dedicated service,” Magnus wrote in the memo.

“During Norby’s career, he made significant contributions across many important roles within Content,” Magnus continued. “Through his steadfast commitment and attention to detail, Norby has had a lasting impact on the sports fans’ experience. His wide-ranging influence includes SportsCenter, breaking news coverage, immense creativity within event and studio productions and diverse storytelling across various ESPN platforms.”

Magnus said the network would hire a senior content executive. He did not explain Williamson's departure.