Linda Cohn is retiring from ESPN. The most prolific SportsCenter anchor in network history will sign off on June 30.
What We Know: Cohn joined ESPN in July 1992, hosting her first SportsCenter at 2 a.m. on July 11 of that year. She anchored her 5,000th edition in February 2016 and has added 650-plus more since. Beyond anchoring, she hosted, reported, called play-by-play, and contributed heavily to ESPN’s hockey coverage. She was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame in 2017. To mark her farewell, she’ll appear across three SportsCenter editions on June 26 — at 6 p.m., 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. ET.
What They Said: Linda Cohn: “When I look back, I have amazing memories of the shows I hosted, the games I reported on, the athletes I met and the outstanding colleagues I got to work with. I’ve always said I was a fan first and I’ve always tried to keep that top of mind when I was doing SportsCenter or anything else. But what I’m most proud of is that my career lasted long enough for me to see little girls grow up watching SportsCenter, enter this business, and succeed in it. If my journey helped make that path a little easier for them, then that’s the achievement I’ll cherish most.”
Burke Magnus, ESPN President, Content: “Linda Cohn is a legend and a major part of the history of ESPN. She has brought enthusiasm, personality and her love of sports to our audience for more than 30 years and her contributions to ESPN both in front of and behind the camera would make a very long list. We wish her all the best in her retirement and sincerely thank her.”
What Remains Unclear: Cohn hasn’t detailed specific next steps. However, she’s signaling plenty lies ahead by announcing her YouTube channel earlier this month.
What It Means: Cohn’s departure closes a defining chapter in ESPN and SportsCenter history. While her workload has decreased in recent years, she’s been an inspiration for many that share the halls at ESPN. She has announced her own YouTube channel for more content coming at a later date. While her ESPN chapter is closing, I don’t expect it will be the last we hear from Cohn.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
