ESPN shared some tragic news during Monday’s episode of SportsCenter.
Just a few days before Christmas, the network announced that research manager Zach Jones, who joined ESPN in 2010, had died at the age of 41. Jones, who is survived by his wife, Amber, and his son, Silas, had been a Stats and Information team member since 2018.
First, Kevin Neghandi paid tribute to Jones on social media.
May you rest in peace Zach. A devoted dad who loved golf, the Chargers and his family. He was a fantastic researcher and had the perfect demeanor for TV. He will be missed by so many. Sending all of our love to his wife, son and their family. F*ck cancer. pic.twitter.com/zl0Z4Kd6gw
— Kevin Negandhi (@KevinNegandhi) December 23, 2024
Randy Scott took the opportunity to do similar on SportsCenter.
“ESPN lost one of our own yesterday,” said Scott. “Research manager Zach Jones died Sunday after a two-year fight with Colorectal Cancer that had metastasized before his diagnosis. You may have never seen him on your screens, but you saw his work. On our live golf coverage, on our women’s basketball coverage or any of our SportsCenter shows. He came here in 2010 as a researcher and joined the management teams of the Stats and Information group in 2018.
“But more important than that, he got married here; he started a family here. The Stanford graduate loved the Cardinal and he loved golf. He loved his wife, Amber. And he loved his son, Silas, who turned 10 last month — and he lost his dad three days before Christmas.
“I saw Zach in the cafeteria just a couple of weeks ago. He was hopeful, but he was also reflective. He said he just wanted his family to be OK after a recent move to Texas. He fought like hell; he gets to rest now. We love you, buddy. Zach Jones was 41 years old.”
We remembered Zach Jones on SportsCenter this morning.
Our friend, Amber’s husband, and Silas’s dad. pic.twitter.com/YAMMhg9Y5l
— Randy Scott (@RandyScottESPN) December 23, 2024
We want to extend our best wishes to the Jones family during this challenging time.
May Zach’s memory be a blessing to his loved ones, friends and colleagues.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.