After 34 years at ESPN, Linda Cohn is calling it quits.
The longtime “SportsCenter” anchor announced on Monday that she is retiring at the end of June. Cohn is the longest-tenured “SportsCenter” anchor and a pioneer as one of the first women to take on full-time hosting duties at the network.
Few names are as synonymous with “SportsCenter” as Cohn’s. Cohn hosted her first episode of SportsCenter in 1992 and has anchored more than 5,500 since. Per ESPN, that’s more than anyone else in the history of the show.
Her final shows will air on Friday at 6 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, and she’ll officially retire from the network on June 30.
In a statement, Cohn said that she’ll look most fondly back on her role as a trailblazer for girls and young women to embark on careers in sports broadcasting
“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,” she said. “If my journey helped make that path a little easier for them, then that’s the achievement I’ll cherish most.”
Per ESPN, Cohn started her career as as a radio news anchor, writer and sports reporter in her native Long Island. She wore multiple hats at ESPN in addition to her “SportsCenter” duties. A college hockey player at Oswego State University, Cohn contributed to ESPN’s NHL coverage in addition to working play-by-play on WNBA coverage.
Cohn was inducted into the National Sports Media Hall of Fame in 2017.
“Linda Cohn is a legend and a major part of the history of ESPN,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content. “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.”
About the Author
