Rachel Nichols Biography
Rachel Nichols (Rachel Michele Nichols) is a sports journalist serving as a sports reporter and anchor at ESPN, where she hosts The Jump on weekdays. She also serves as a contributor to SportsCenter and occasionally hosts Outside the Lines, and contributes to ESPN’s prime time newsmagazine E:60.
Rachel Nichols Age
Rachel was born on October 18, 1973 in Potomac, Maryland, USA.
Rachel Nichols Height
She stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches tall.
Rachel Nichols Education
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Rachel Nichols Parents
She is the daughter of Ronald Jacobs and Jane Jacobs. She was raised alongside her two brothers.
Rachel Nichols Husband
Rachel is married to Max Nichols since May 2001, in a Jewish wedding ceremony which took place in Venice. Max is a director and actor, known for Two Night Stand (2014), Day 5 (2016) and Chemistry Lessons. The couple first met at a school summer camp in the state of Marine but they later lost touch. They later reunited in 1997 and began dating.
Rachel Nichols ESPN
Rachel joined ESPN in 2016 as a Los Angeles-based host. She hosts The Jump, a daily half-hour program focused on the NBA. The show includes regular appearances by current and former NBA players, as well as ESPN analysts, reporters and insiders.
She is also a contributor to SportsCenter. She also occasionally hosts Outside the Lines, and contributes to ESPN’s prime time newsmagazine E:60 since 2007.
She previously worked for ESPN from 2004-2013 while based in New York City. Her role 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.
Before returning to ESPN she served as an anchor/reporter at CNN and Turner Sports, working sidelines on the networks’ NBA and NCAA Tournament broadcasts, as a CNN studio analyst and as the host of Unguarded with Rachel Nichols.
She has also been a reporter for the Washington Post (1996-2004) and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (1995-96).
Rachel Nichols Maria Taylor
According to an article by the NY Times, Nichols said that Maria Taylor got the job to host 2020 N.B.A. finals coverage because she was black and ESPN was “feeling pressure” on diversity. Nichols allegedly made the remarks during a phone conversation nearly a year ago after learning that she would not host coverage during the 2020 N.B.A. finals, as she had been expecting.
“I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world — she covers football, she covers basketball. If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it — like, go for it. Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away.”
Nichols later apologized on-air following the publication saying she was “deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor.”
Rachel Nichols Cancelled
On August 25, 2021 ESPN announced they have canceled “The Jump” hosted by Rachel. The show cancellation comes a month after The New York Times reported on disparaging comments she made about Maria Taylor. In a conversation with an adviser to the Lakers star LeBron James, Nichols, who is white, said that Taylor, who is Black, had been chosen to host 2020 N.B.A. finals coverage instead of her because ESPN executives were “feeling pressure” on diversity.
She was unaware the conversation was being recorded. Taylor has since left ESPN and joined NBC.
ESPN senior vice president for production David Roberts said in a statement; “We mutually agreed that this approach regarding our NBA coverage was best for all concerned. Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we thank her for her many contributions to our NBA content.”
Rachel confirmed the news in a tweet, she said, “The Jump was never built to last forever but it sure was fun.”
Got to create a whole show and spend five years hanging out with some of my favorite people ❤️ talking about one my favorite things 🏀 An eternal thank you to our amazing producers & crew – The Jump was never built to last forever but it sure was fun. 😎
More to come… pic.twitter.com/FPMFRlfJin— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 25, 2021
Rachel Nichols Contract
It is not known how many years Rachel has remaining on her contract despite her show being canceled. She will continue to be paid.
Rachel Nichols Salary
Nichols earns an estimated annual salary of $1.5 million.
Rachel Nichols Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of $10 million