ABC’s Mark Jackson Leaving TV For Warriors Coaching Gig

Posted by | 06/07/2011 at 10:03 pm

After four years as ABC’s lead NBA analyst, Mark Jackson is leaving to become the head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

Jackson was named head coach of the Warriors on Monday, bringing an end to his seven-year tenure as an NBA broadcaster with ESPN/ABC. He will continue to broadcast the ongoing NBA Finals on ABC until the series concludes.

Jackson first auditioned to be ABC’s lead NBA analyst in November 2003, working a non-televised Raptors/Lakers game alongside Al Michaels. He was one one of the “main candidates for the analyst job” before Doc Rivers became available (New York Post, 11/21/03).

He joined ESPN/ABC as a studio analyst for the 2004-05 season. However, he departed the network for the Nets analyst job on YES Network the next season because he “wanted to call games” (USA Today, 10/26/05). He returned as ABC’s lead studio analyst in March 2006, and was named the network’s lead game analyst starting with the 2006-07 season.

The Mike Breen-Mark Jackson-Jeff Van Gundy team has worked together since May 2007, calling five consecutive NBA Finals.

(Information regarding Jackson’s coaching position from USA Today)

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  • JakeFrankie

    I respected Mark Jackson as a player, but as a commentator he’s a joke. Him and Van Gundy everything is a comedy fest for them. In my opinion they make the games look not as important, They always seem to go away from the games. Making jokes is fine, But non-stop   garbage can be very annoying. Let’s hope Van Gundy gets a coaching job soon. Mike Breen is decent at best but he’s no Marv Albert or near it.

    ABC/ESPN does a lackluster job compared to TNT in my opinion, There’s a couple other people on the network who SHOULDN’T be talking NBA. I never understood why they put Hubie Brown on NBA FINALS radio games with Mike Trico there the best team ABC/ESPN has. 

    But in all good luck to Mark with the Warriors job, He’s going to have his hands full. The Golden State Warriors have some of the best fans in the NBA, Always a full arena!

  • Bessilver

    JakeFrankie…I totally agree with you.  I enjoyed watching Mark Jackson as a player, but as NBA Analyst not so much.  In my opinion, Mike Breen-Mark Jackson-Van Gundy gives you NOTHING!  Definitely should not be the #1 crew/team calling ‘The Finals.’  I much prefer to have the likes of Marv Albert, Hubie Brown, Kevin Harlan, or Kevin Calabro as play-by-play commentator & it doesn’t matter to me who does color. 

  • Pbaer132

    Van Gundy is the single most annoying broadcaster in the history of television.

  • JakeFrankie

    The Game last night drew a 11.1 overnight rating.