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)
