Barry Sacks, a longtime producer at ESPN and Quinnipiac University professor, died Sunday. He was 63.
Sacks joined ESPN in 1982 and remained with the organization until January 2016. He was pivotal in the rise of both SportsCenter and College GameDay. After departing ESPN, he was the Executive Producer of the WNBA’s Connecticut Suns for five seasons while simultaneously teaching classes part-time at Quinnipiac.
“During his 33-year career in Bristol, Barry touched so many areas of the company,” said ESPN’s Suzy Kolber as she announced the news on Postseason NFL Countdown Sunday. “His passion for sports was unmatched, including his love for the New York Giants. When Chris Berman says ‘G-Men’ on NFL Primetime, that’s an ode to Barry.
“He was also responsible for mentoring so many ESPN production assistants, always asking when deciding whether a play should make the highlight, ‘Did it make you say wow?’ Those of us who got to work with you for many years always said ‘Wow’ about you, Barry.”
“Beloved by his students, Barry was one of the linchpins of our sports journalism offerings, and the reason why so many of his students have had successful careers,” Quinnipiac Associate Vice President of Public Relations John Morgan said in a statement. “The university is offering counseling services to students who have been impacted by this terrible loss.”
Sacks is survived by his wife, Joann, and son Jesse.
Tributes from former colleagues and friends poured in after the death was announced by ESPN.
