Andy Katz wasn't spared from the layoffs that shook up the sports journalism world on Wednesday. As ESPN downsized, their veteran college Basketball reporter was one of the last people reported to have lost their job, although it's not immediately clear when he got the call. Nevertheless, he will be hitting free agency with many of the other talented individuals let go by ESPN, though he shouldn't be out of work for long.
Part of the devastating layoffs
Katz wasn't the one to reveal the news about his firing; in fact, as of Thursday morning, there was no mention on his Twitter account outside of a video he retweeted of Bob Ley talking about the layoffs (perhaps unsuspecting at the time) and no change in his profile, which lists him as part of ESPN.
Instead, the news came via a genuinely sweet tweet from Seth Greenberg, who has worked with Katz on the network's college basketball coverage over the past several years. That did change at around 12:15 Thursday afternoon, however, when Katz finally posted a message on his Twitter account detailing his future.
There was no dodging the layoffs at ESPN, however, no matter how seasoned of a reporter one was. MLB reporter Jayson Stark, Olympics writer Jim Caple, and NFL reporter Ed Werder were among those with a wealth of experience who couldn't survive Wednesday. Katz wasn't the only college basketball reporter to go either, as Eamonn Brennan and C.L. Brown were part of the network's effort to downsize and become more profitable as they struggle to adapt to a new digital landscape.
Biography of the reporter
Katz graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison back in 1990. After that, he worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Albuquerque Journal, and The Fresno Bee before landing his big break at ESPN in 2000. In addition to his college basketball writing, he also played a prominent part on "College GameNight."
Arguably his most well-known contribution was the yearly show he did with President Barack Obama, when the president made his predictions for the NCAA Tournament.
The show was an annual highlight for the network, an exclusive chance for the leader of the nation to simply talk sports and connect with his constituents. Katz contributed to ESPN in many ways, however, serving as a versatile figure in their college basketball coverage, along with the other journalists out of a job this week. He will be missed by fans.
