Nearly two months after Hoda Kotb announced she was leaving TODAY, viewers can now know that a familiar face will be sliding into her seat as co-anchor.

Craig Melvin, who has been with NBC News for nearly 14 years, moves to the co-anchor chair next to Savannah Guthrie for the 7 and 8 o’clock hours. It starts Monday, January 13, after Hoda takes leave of her morning duties on Friday, January 10.

Craig has held a number of positions during his years at TODAY, from weekend co-anchor to his current role as co-host of TODAY’s 3rd hour and early hours news anchor. He is also husband to sports broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak and proud father to Delano, 10, and Sybil, 8.

“We are extremely pleased that Craig will be stepping into the co-anchor chair,” Libby Leist, TODAY senior vice president, said in a Nov. 14 statement to staff. “He has been an integral and beloved part of our family. From breaking news on the ground, to presidential interviews, to multiple Olympics and Super Bowls, Craig has shown he has the talent and reach to cover everything we do here TODAY. And he does it without ever losing that southern charm.

Craig will continue to co-host the third hour with Al Roker, Dylan Dreyer and Sheinelle Jones.

TODAY will also see some changes happening at Hoda & Jenna following Hoda’s departure. TODAY’s fourth hour, co-hosted by Hoda and Jenna Bush Hager since April 2019, will debut as TODAY with Jenna & Friends on January 13 until a permanent co-host is named. The show will feature a rotating cast of invulco hosts, new games and much more.

TODAY celebrates Hoda during her final shows in January.

Hoda emotionally shared on TODAY, September 26, that she felt it was time to move on from the show, a decision she felt moved after celebrating her 60th birthday in August.

“I realized it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and try something new,” she said. “I remembered standing outside looking at this beautiful group of people with these beautiful signs, and I thought, ‘This is what the crest of the wave feels like to me.’ And I thought it couldn’t get any better, and I decided this is the right time for me to move on.

At the time of Hoda’s announcement, Craig shared his admiration for Hoda’s authenticity both on and off camera.

“People in this industry, when that little red light goes off, it’s different people,” Craig said. “We’ve worked with all these people before. You are the opposite. That little red light goes off, you are exactly who people see you in the morning: just the biggest heart.

“You have been the heart of this show for a long time, and there is no substitute for that.”