Heather Cox Joins NBC Sports Group as Sideline Reporter

By: Caryn Robbins Jul. 13, 2016

Heather Cox, a reporter on multiple high-profile sports properties for the past two decades, joins NBC Sports Group on a full-time basis beginning at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she will serve as the volleyball reporter.

Among her assignments, Cox will report from the sidelines for NBC's new Thursday Night Football series (NBC is the only network with two primetime NFL packages), and will work on Golf Channel as a news reporter on select golf events. She will also work other major events produced by NBC Sports Group.

"We are excited to add Heather, a big-game reporter, to our Thursday Night Football team," said Sam Flood, Executive Producer of NBC Sports. "She did an excellent job at three previous Summer Games with NBC, and appropriately, her first assignment is the Rio Olympics."

"I am excited to join NBC Sports Group and can't wait to travel to Rio," Cox said. "I have always valued my Olympic relationship with NBC, and I'm thrilled to extend that full-time to the NFL, Football Night in America, golf and many more events in NBC's deep portfolio."

Cox, who served as a reporter on NBC Olympics' beach volleyball coverage at the last three Summer Games, has first-hand experience with the sport she'll be covering in Rio (indoor volleyball). She was captain of the Sacramento Stars of the National Volleyball Association professional league (1993-95). A captain at the University of Pacific, her team ranked in the top five from 1988-91, and advanced to the 1990 national championship game. She was a member of the U.S. National Volleyball Team at the 1990 Olympic Festival.

Cox joins NBC Sports Group after 22 years at ESPN (1994-2016), where she served as a reporter on ABC and ESPN. She was the lead reporter on ABC's college football, covering the primetime Saturday game and the last four national championship games. Cox also covered the NBA, the NBA Draft, men's and women's college basketball, and the WNBA. In addition, she worked golf's U.S. Women's Open, BCS bowl games, NCAA championships in basketball, soccer and volleyball, as well as volleyball Olympic Trials and World Championships. Cox initially joined ESPN to serve as an analyst on men's and women's college and professional volleyball, and women's college basketball.