Longtime ESPN Host John Saunders Dead At 61

ESPN anchor John Saunders, who had been one of the network's most recognizable faces in his 30 years with the company, has died, the network announced Wednesday. He was 61.

ESPN did not report a cause of death.

Saunders was a prominent voice of ESPN's college football and basketball studio coverage and anchored some editions of SportsCenter on weekends. He anchored ESPN's on-site coverage of the College Football Playoff and the BCS Championship before that and hosted the post-game trophy ceremony with the winning teams.

ESPN President John Skipper noted his work as a board member of the The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

“John was an extraordinary talent and his friendly, informative style has been a warm welcome to sports fans for decades," Skipper said in an ESPN statement. "His wide range of accomplishments across numerous sports and championship events is among the most impressive this industry has ever seen. More importantly, John was a beloved and devoted family man who cared deeply about people and causes, as evidenced by his long-standing efforts as a passionate board member for The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

"He was one of the most significant and influential members of the ESPN family, as a colleague and mentor, and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this extremely difficult time.”

Saunders joined ESPN in December of 1986 as a SportsCenter anchor and went on to do play-by-play for college basketball and the WNBA. He has anchored studio coverage of many major sporting events ESPN has covered, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Final Four and the World Series.

Saunders is survived by his wife, Wanda, and two daughters, Aleah and Jenna.

ESPN personalities and the sports media world took to Twitter to reflect on his passing.

Image via ESPN, used with permission