LOS ANGELES — ESPN announced on June 22, 2026, that Linda Cohn will retire from the network on June 30, concluding her 34-year tenure as a SportsCenter anchor. She hosted her first SportsCenter edition on July 11, 1992, at 2 a.m., after joining ESPN in July 1992.

Cohn has anchored more episodes of SportsCenter than any other personality in ESPN history. She anchored her 5,000th edition of SportsCenter in 2016 and was inducted into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame in 2017. She will anchor three editions of SportsCenter on June 26 as part of her final week on air.

Burke Magnus, ESPN President of Content, commented on her retirement. "Linda Cohn is a legend and a major part of the history of ESPN," Magnus said. "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."

Cohn began her broadcasting career in 1981 as a radio news anchor, writer, and sports reporter on Long Island. She worked for KIRO in Seattle before joining ESPN. She most recently anchored the late-night edition of SportsCenter originating from Los Angeles until 2025.

Reflecting on her career, Cohn stated, "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."

Cohn also appeared on Rich Eisen's "This Was SportsCenter" podcast. Eisen anchored SportsCenter from 1996 to 2003. During her career, Cohn proposed the catchphrase "Mike Piazza: master batter" for home run highlights. Former ESPN Executive Norby Williamson rejected her proposed catchphrase, telling her, "Well, don't ever do that again." Cohn remarked, "I still don't know what I did, Rich. But the lesson I learned is, you can't put people up on pedestals, you know, because they're human just like you."