ESPN names a managing editor for “The Undefeated”

While we keep hearing about the exploits of ESPN’s “The Undefeated,” we now can report that the site which will focus on race and culture now has a new managing editor. Raina Kelley, who is a deputy editor with ESPN The Magazine and move over to “The Undefeated.”

Kelley joined The Magazine in 2011 as a senior editor overlooking coverage of the NFL, tennis, action sports as well as the Olympics and enterprise writing. And before ESPN, she wrote for Newsweek about race, gender and politics so going to “The Undefeated” would be right up Kelley’s alley.

At “The Undefeated,” Kelley will be responsible for day-to-day coverage and according to the official announcement, “help develop new opportunities.” She’ll report to the site’s editor-in-chief Kevin Merida who took over after Jason Whitlock was let go.

Merida is quoted in the announcement as excited to have Kelley on board:

“Raina is an enormously creative editor with a strong sense of how to tell a story,” Merida said. “I am delighted to have her as managing editor of The Undefeated, and look forward to working with her to build something spectacular.”

Now with the editorial infrastructure in place, it appears that “The Undefeated” may finally get off the ground and as we’ve chronicled the site’s turbulent history under Whitlock’s stewardship, it looks like there’s some stability going forward.

ESPN says it’s committed to “The Undefeated’s future even in the wake of Grantland’s death. Time will tell if that commitment will continue long-term.

[ESPN]