Eric Perkins has been named sports director at KARE, the NBC-affiliate in Minneapolis.

Perkins is currently the weekend news and sports anchor for the station. He succeeds Randy Shaver, who is moving to the weeknight anchor desk after 18 years as sports director. In his new role, Perkins will appear on the weeknight newscasts alongside Shaver, Julie Nelson and Belinda Jensen.

“Eric brings his definitive, proactive style to sports anchoring as he joins the strongest weeknight anchor team in the Twin Cities,” president and general manager John Remes said in a statement.

Perkins, who is the son of former NBC News correspondent and A&E host Jack Perkins, begins in his new role in August after he returns from covering the London Olympics.

“TV news is in my genes,” Perkins said in a statement. “My dad, Jack, was a network correspondent for ‘NBC Nightly News’ for years and to be able to make my way down that same path is a privilege, and one I will handle with care.”