Last November, Kirk Minihane stepped away from his role at Barstool Sports, citing mental health issues.
It was not the first time that Minihane has hit pause on his career to deal with depression and other challenges. The former WEEI host went radio silent in the weeks since, announcing the end of The Kirk Minihane Show and ending his duties on Barstool’s The Unnamed Show, which he co-hosts with Dave Portnoy and Ryan Whitney.
But it seems Minihane is returning this week.
On Thursday, the X account for Minihane’s show posted that Minihane “will be taking calls at 10am” on Friday.
Kirk will be taking calls at 10am tomorrow.
— The Kirk Minihane Show (@kirkminshow) March 5, 2026
Minihane previously took a leave of absence in March 2020. Since leaving in November, Minihane has aired three live shows.
It is unclear whether Minihane’s show this week will be a one-off or part of a permanent return.
Especially since joining Barstool, Minihane has occupied a lane as one of Barstool’s (and sports media’s) chief agitators. As Portnoy alluded to when Minihane stepped away, this leaves Minihane susceptible to harsh insults when he discusses more sensitive, personal topics like mental health.
But Minihane has balanced both sides of his public persona throughout his many years in the spotlight. He remains one of Barstool’s more well-known hosts, cultivating a legion of “Minifans” even as he broadcasts outside the typical Barstool confines of New York and Chicago. And he has bounced back from prolonged absences before.
If Friday marks Minihane’s official return to air at Barstool, let’s hope that Minihane is in a safe and comfortable state of mind that will allow him to continue his career happily and successfully going forward.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.