ESPN longtime anchor Bob Ley extended his leave of absence from the network as his six-month sabbatical was running out.

ESPN announced that Ley, the network's longest tenured commentator having begun in 1979, would be extending his time away indefinitely.

Ley had originally announced a six-month sabbatical from his "Outside the Lines" hosting duties in October, saying at the time: "The idea of stepping back to re-charge is fully 100% mine."

Yet ESPN said in a public statement last week: "Bob Ley has decided to extend his time away from 'Outside the Lines'. We look forward to Bob’s return when he will add to his unprecedented list of accomplishments built during his nearly 40 years and counting at ESPN. 'Outside the Lines'will continue with hosts Ryan Smith and Jeremy Schaap."

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Ley, best known for his work on the award-winning 'Outside the Lines' program, received a sports Emmy for outstanding studio host last May.