Sean Coulthard (better known by his stage name of Michael Cole) is the current play-by-play announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment's SmackDown! brand along with his partner, Tazz (Peter Senerca). Prior to becoming a WWE announcer, he was a news reporter. He was sent to Sarajevo, Bosnia for what was supposedly a six-week assignment covering the war-time siege by Serbian forces, but it turned out to be a nine-month stay, which would change his life. He would report daily from the city, narrowly escaping bullets and bombs. His documentary titled, "Voices of Bosnia", has won several awards.

In 1993, he was sent to the Branch Davidian Compound in Waco, Texas to cover the entire 51-day shootout between them and FBI agents, resulting in the deaths of over 80 people when a fire erupted during the shootout.

Experienced in events of tragedy, in 1995 he was sent to Oklahoma after the bombing by Timothy Mcveigh at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, taking the lives of 168 people.

He came to WWE in 1997, where he became the host of the old LiveWire show alongside Jim Cornette. From the end of 1997 to August 1999, he was the host of WWE RAW and when SmackDown! debuted, he was chosen to be the play-by-play announcer.