Linda Cohn announced her retirement from ESPN after 34 years on air, with her final SportsCenter appearance set for June 30. The longest-serving SportsCenter anchor will join John Buccigross at the NHL Draft before signing off, while farewell broadcasts are pl
On June 30, SportsCenter won’t just change hands. Linda Cohn will close the chapter herself.
The longest-serving anchor in SportsCenter history has announced a shock retirement from ESPN after 34 years on-air. confirming that her final appearance for the network will come on June 30. Cohn will also be at the NHL Draft alongside longtime co-host John Buccigross before she signs off for good. ESPN has already lined up farewell broadcasts for the evening editions of SportsCenter on Friday.
In a statement to ESPN. Cohn said: “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 added: “If my journey helped make that path a little easier for them. then that’s the achievement I’ll cherish most.”.
ESPN president Burke Magnus paid tribute in a separate statement. calling Cohn “a legend and a major part of the history of ESPN.” Magnus said she brought “enthusiasm. personality and her love of sports to our audience for more than 30 years. ” and that her contributions to ESPN “both in front of and behind the camera” would “make a very long list.” He finished by wishing Cohn “all the best in her retirement” and offering thanks “sincerely” to her for her work.
Cohn’s 34-year tenure began in Bristol, Connecticut in 1992. She later relocated to Los Angeles in 2009 to front the network’s 1am edition. Since that show moved back to Bristol last year, she had been working on special projects. Her departure comes after ESPN and Cohn were reportedly unable to agree on a suitable role for her once her contract expires at the end of the month.
Beyond SportsCenter, Cohn contributed play-by-play work for ESPN’s WNBA coverage and featured in NHL studio programming. The sport remains close to her heart—she was a college hockey goalie herself. In 2017, she was inducted into the National Sports Media Hall of Fame.
Linda Cohn ESPN SportsCenter retirement John Buccigross NHL Draft Burke Magnus WNBA hockey goalie National Sports Media Hall of Fame