ESPN icon Linda Cohn recently announced that she is retiring, effectively concluding a long and illustrious career at the sports network. Throughout her 34-year tenure, the veteran news anchor played a key role in various areas of coverage.
Linda Cohn announces retirement after 34 years
Linda Cohn is retiring from ESPN next week, on June 30, 2026. Before this, a celebration will take place at Bristol headquarters, with the 66-year-old appearing on the evening editions of SportsCenter on Friday, June 26, 2026, to mark her farewell. As per Barrett Media, these will occur across three time slots, all ET: 6 p.m., 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. Moreover, she and longtime co-host John Buccigross will connect at the NHL Draft.
She has hosted the most SportsCenter editions at 5,500. This began in Bristol on July 11, 1992, with Chris Myers. Cohn also reportedly appeared in multiple This Is SportsCenter commercials. However, the network nearly fired her two years into her run. This is because they felt she didn’t show her love for sports on TV despite her knowledge.
On The Dan Patrick Show in 2016, she revealed that the network gave her six months to improve. Viewing this as a sign that they still believed in her, she added that they hired a video coach to help her with the same.
Cohn’s hosting career continued in Los Angeles, where she eventually relocated from Connecticut in 2018 to host the 1 a.m. SportsCenter slot. Moreover, she did play-by-play for the WNBA coverage by ESPN and creatively participated in the NHL Studio shows. Furthermore, as a collegiate ice hockey goalie at Oswego State University, she frequently contributed to the network’s hockey coverage.
She anchored her 5000th SportsCenter show in 2016. Additionally, she anchored another 650+ editions over the past 10 years. This was when her schedule was reduced, and she had roles in hockey coverage. The National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame inducted Cohn into the institution in 2017.
Although Cohn is departing ESPN, she has teased that there are multiple opportunities ahead of her. “I’m grateful for every moment I had at ESPN,” she shared. “But I’m inspired and energized by the opportunities that lie ahead. My story is still being written.”
Originally written by Abdul Azim Naushad on Mandatory.
