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Rachel Nichols   Bio, Age, & More

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Reporting what matters 
in sports news

Rachel Nichols

About

Rachel Nichols is an  American sports broadcaster 

with more than 25 years of experience as a

 TV host,   reporter,  and  anchor. 

She’s covered sports for the biggest outlets in the world. She spent nearly a decade at The Washington Post covering football, basketball, multiple Olympics and Grand Slam Tennis. 

In 2004, Nichols moved on to ESPN for a nine-year run in which she earned two Emmy Awards and appeared on some of the network’s most watched programs, like SportsCenter and NFL Countdown. She was also part of the network’s Monday Night Football broadcasts as a sideline reporter.

Her next move was to CNN and Turner Sports. The first show she created and hosted was self-titled, Unguarded with Rachel Nichols, and aired weekly on CNN and CNN International. It boasted more than a billion viewers worldwide. 

During this time Nichols reported on TNT’s NBA broadcasts including regular season, playoffs, and All-Star broadcast teams. She also reported for TBS covering baseball and golf broadcasts, and Final Four broadcasts on CBS.

Nichols returned to ESPN in 2016 after pitching the network on The Jump, which Sports Illustrated would go on to call “TV’s smartest basketball show.” Nichols garnered an Emmy nomination to her credit for “Best Host,” marking only the second time in the award’s 42-year-old history that a woman was nominated amongst the more than 200 nominees. The Jump ran for five years on ESPN where Nichols recruited NBA Hall of Famers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scottie Pippen, Tracy McGrady, and Paul Pierce to join her on set. Nichols also joined ESPN’s premiere Saturday Night NBA package, first as the broadcast’s host and then as its sideline reporter, becoming a fixture during the NBA’s chaotic “Bubble” season.

Nichols has earned a Gracie Award for her hard-hitting interview with Floyd Mayweather on his record of domestic violence, and an Ed Block Courage Award for her public questioning of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. 

Rachel grew up in Potomac, Maryland, and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She is married with two children, and currently resides in Los Angeles.

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Career and Achievements

 1996 

Reporter - The Washington Post

(1996-2006)

Nichols spent nearly a decade at The Washington Post covering the NHL, NBA, baseball and football, as well as multiple Olympics and Grand Slams.

 

 2004 

Correspondent - ESPN

(2004-2013)

Nichols roles included major event coverage, breaking news and high-profile interviews. She was most often seen on SportsCenter, NFL Countdown, and Outside the Lines, and was also a recurring sideline reporter on Monday Night Football.

 2013 

Host - Unguarded with Rachel Nichols

(2013-2016)

Nichols hosted CNN’s, “Unguarded with Rachel Nichols”, where she led candid conversations with world-famous athletes and reported on stories that present the human side of sports personalities. The half-hour episodes also included panel discussions to bring sports fans and general audiences into the programming.

 2016 

Host - ESPN's The Jump

(2016-2021)

Nichols hosted The Jump, a daily half hour program focused on the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Show included regular appearances of current and former NBA players, as well as ESPN Analyst, reporters and insiders.

Career
Clips

Stats & More

 From 
Nichols was born  October 18th, 1973  in Phoenix, AZ

 Height 
Nichols is  5 feet, 4 inches  tall
 
 High School 
Nichos attended  Winston Churchill High School 

 College 
Nichos has a  B.S. in Journalism  from the Medill School of Journalism at  Northwestern University  in Evanston, IL

 Parents 
Nichols parents are  Ronald Jacobs  and  Jane Jacobs 

Spouse 

Nichols has been married to Max Nichols since May of 2001

Fun Facts 
  • Nichols' graduated from college early
     at the age of 21 
  • Nichols' favorite sports team is the
     Washington Capitals 
  • Nichols' favorite athlete is Georgetown Basketball's
     Allen Iverson 
  • Nichols' favorite sporting event was  Michael Jordan's Bulls beating the Utah Jazz  to win their 6th title 
  • Nichols' favorite interview was with  Kobe Bryant & Tracy McGrady  looking back on their careers together
Stats
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