USA Today makes Heather Burns its first women’s sports editor

For the first time in its history, USA Today has a women’s sports editor. Heather Burns, who until April led ESPN’s digital NFL coverage, has been hired for the job.

The news was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by the APSE (Associated Press Sports Editors) account.

“Heather Burns (@hburns_usat), who led ESPN’s digital NFL team, has been hired by USA TODAY as its first women’s sports editor,” the post said.

Heather Burns (@hburns_usat), who led ESPN’s digital NFL team, has been hired by USA TODAY as its first women’s sports editor.

— APSE (@APSE_sportmedia) July 4, 2025

Burns (pictured above as a guest on the Girl, How’d You Get that Gig? Podcast) also reposted the APSE announcement.

Burns’ extensive experience in journalism is detailed on Digital Women Leaders.

“Heather Burns is a career sports journalist who has spent more than 30 years in the industry,” the bio says. “She started out as a high school sports reporter in Iowa City, the first of five stops in the Gannett newspaper chain,” the bio said. She made the transition from reporter to editor in 2000, first as a copy editor and then assistant sports editor at The Detroit News. Burns moved to ESPN in 2008, working on the news desk and espnW before joining the digital NFL team.”