Rachel Nichols

American journalist and sports commentator; During a long and varied journalism career, Rachel Nichols has established herself as a versatile, respected professional equally adept at handling host, reporter and anchor duties. Nichols was born Rachel Michele Alexander, in Potomac, Md. She attended Northwestern University and graduated from its Medill School of Journalism in 1995, after which she immediately embarked on her chosen career by working as a reporter for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. A nine-year stint followed at the Washington Post, where Nichols covered the NHL's Washington Capitals. Her big break came in 2004 when she joined ESPN as a reporter based in New York City, a role that included major event coverage, breaking news and high-profile interviews. Most often, Nichols was seen on the network's signature programs, including "SportsCenter" (1979-), "Sunday NFL Countdown" (1985-) and "Outside the Lines" (1990-), and she had a recurring role as a sideline reporter on "Monday Night Football" (ABC/ESPN, 1970-). She was also among the correspondents to launch ESPN's newsmagazine series "E:60" (2007-). In 2013, she joined CNN and Turner Sports as an anchor/reporter. She fronted "Unguarded With Rachel Nichols" (CNN, 2013-14), conducting long-form interviews with major sports personalities and earning praise for asking tough questions and confronting sensitive subjects like domestic violence in sports. In addition, she handled a wide variety of assignments, from Major League Baseball, the NBA and NCAA Tournament to the Masters and the Super Bowl. Nichols began a second stint at ESPN in 2016 as a Los Angeles-based reporter. As part of her return, she hosted "NBA: The Jump" (2016-), a daily program focused on the National Basketball Association, and contributed commentary, interviews and features to many of the network's programs. In 2001, she married Max Nichols, son of director Mike Nichols and stepson of journalist Diane Sawyer. Rachel and Max are parents to twin daughters.