Linda Cohn, whose straightforward style and natural humor create an easy rapport with viewers, took over a variety of new roles as of the summer of 2005.
Her expanded assignments include: hosting ESPNEWS' NFL Blitz (4-7 p.m. ET Sundays during the season); hosting weekly NASCAR segments Mondays on ESPNEWS during NEXTEL's "Chase for the Cup;" hosting SportsCenter's 2006 Winter Olympics coverage from Italy; hosting golf remotes for SportsCenter, including the TOUR Championship; and serving as play-by-play commentator for WNBA games and hosting the league's All-Star game and Finals on ABC. She continues to anchor select SportsCenters including Saturdays during college football season.
Previously as SportsCenter's "late night" anchor on the 1 a.m. ET program, Cohn was seen throughout the morning as the show is re-aired every weekday from 5 a.m. to noon. Cohn also anchored select 11 p.m. ET shows. Since 2002, Cohn has provided on-site SportsCenter reports from the Men's Final Four, and since 1998 has provided weekly "Extra Point" commentaries on ESPN Radio.
Known for her versatility, Cohn has hosted ESPN's Baseball Tonight and National Hockey Night, ESPN2's NHL 2Night and RPM 2Night and SportsCenter's NBA All-Star Game coverage. She has also contributed to ESPN's NFL Draft coverage, Major League Baseball playoff coverage, the ESPYs and Sunday NFL Countdown. During the 1998 season, she was one of three alternating hosts for the NFL on ESPN Radio, the network's Sunday-long coverage of NFL games. She also provided play-by-play of ESPN and ESPN2's coverage of the LPGA (1998-99). From 1999 to 2002, Cohn's column "Linda Cohn's Hotline" was regularly featured in ESPN The Magazine's Life Section.
Cohn received a bachelor of arts degree in communications from SUNY at Oswego in 1981. As a senior at Newfield (N.Y.) High School, she served as the goalie on the boys ice hockey team and in college on the Oswego women's ice hockey team.
Cohn is also a spokesperson for ESPN's Play Your Way, ESPN's signature youth fitness initiative designed to encourage physical fitness among youth, ages 7-12, by removing some of the barriers that prevent kids from participating in physical activities such as lack of motivation, accessible places to play, and equipment. ESPN Play Your Way encourages creative recreational play.
