Daniel Francis Coughlin (1938 – October 6, 2024) was an American sports anchor and reporter for WJW Fox 8 in Cleveland, author, and sports writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Dan Coughlin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Daniel Francis Coughlin September 17, 1938 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | (aged 86) |
| Occupation(s) | Newspaper sportswriter television sportscaster |
| Awards | 1976 Ohio Sportswriter of the Year Two-time Lower Great Lakes Emmy Award winner |
| Website | Coughlin's personal blog |
Early life
editCoughlin was born in 1938 and lived in the Collinwood neighborhood on Cleveland's east side until 1941, when his parents moved to a home on the city's west side near St. Ignatius High School. A time later, Coughlin's family moved again to suburban Lakewood, Ohio, where he attended St. Edward High School, graduating in 1956. Coughlin later served a two-year stint in the U.S. Army in the First Armored Division.[1]
Career
editNewspapers
editSoon after leaving military service, Coughlin landed his first full-time job in the newspaper business when he became a sports writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1964.[2] While with the Plain Dealer, Coughlin was recognized for his work by being named Ohio Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) in 1976,[3] and serving as president of the Cleveland Press Club from 1981-82.[4]
Coughlin left the Plain Dealer in 1982, but worked part-time as a sports writer in later years, writing sports columns for suburban newspapers such as the Elyria Chronicle Telegram, and the Lake County News Herald.[5]
Television
editIn 1983, Coughlin switched to television reporting, becoming a sports reporter/fill-in anchor for WJKW (now WJW) TV 8 in Cleveland, where he remained.[6]
For the 1990 baseball season, Coughlin served as a play by play announcer for the Cleveland Indians on the then-new SportsChannel Ohio (now Bally Sports Ohio).[7]
In later years, Coughlin went into semi-retirement, though he still worked part-time at WJW as a co-host of Friday Night Touchdown during high school football season.[8][9]
Author
editCoughlin wrote four books featuring anecdotes from his career covering the Cleveland sports scene: Pass the Nuts (2011), Crazy, With The Papers to Prove It (2012), Let's Have Another (2015) and Just One More Story (2018).[5]
Death
editCoughlin died on October 6, 2024, at the age of 86.[10]
Awards and honors
edit- 1976 Ohio Sportswriter of the Year (NSSA)[3]
- 1996 inductee, Cleveland Press Club Journalism Hall of Fame[11]
- 2002 Society of Professional Journalists (Cleveland chapter) Distinguished Service Award recipient[12]
- Two-time Lower Great Lakes Emmy Awards recipient (2010[13] and 2012[14] as co-host of Friday Night Touchdown) - Sports Program[9]
- 2013 Irish-American Archives Society (IAAS) Walks of Life Award recipient[15][16]
- 2017 inductee, Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame[17]
References
edit- ^ "Coughlin bio". Cleveland Seniors. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Coughlin interview". Cleveland Plain Dealer. November 4, 2010. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "Coughlin wins Sportswriter of the Year Award". National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Coughlin as Cleveland Press Club President". Cleveland Seniors. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ a b "Coughlin's books". Gray & Co. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Coughlin's TV career". Cleveland Plain Dealer. December 14, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Indians broadcasters". Cleveland Indians. Archived from the original on May 27, 2007. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Coughlin's semi-retirement". Dan Coughlin. August 31, 2011. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ a b ""Friday Night Touchdown" promo". YouTube. July 30, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ Donatelli, Joe (October 6, 2024). "Dan Coughlin, longtime Cleveland sports journalist known for his work in print and on TV, passes away". News5Cleveland.com. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
- ^ "Coughlin inducted into Journalism HOF". Cleveland Press Club. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Coughlin wins Journalism Award". Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "2010 Emmy winners". NATAS. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "2012 Emmy winners". NATAS. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Coughlin wins Irish Society Award". YouTube. March 4, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Coughlin wins Irish Society Award" (PDF). Irish-American Archives Society. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- ^ "Manning, Gund head to Cleveland Sports HOF". Cleveland Plain Dealer. September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
External links
edit- Dan Coughlin at IMDb
- Coughlin's personal blog
- Sports Icon Interviews conducted by Coughlin at Cleveland Public Library starting in 2012 and, as of 2018, having over 40 interviews of northeast Ohio sports personalities.