(January 29, 2014) Dan Coehn’s next sportscasting job is taking him to a new part of the country. An STAA client, Cohen is joining WREX-TV in Rockford, IL as Weekend Sports Anchor/Reporter.
A life-long Northeasterner, Cohen is eager to experience life in the Midwest. “I grew up, attended college, and interned in the Northeast, so I’m excited to branch out and learn about this Illinois community,” says Cohen. “Rockford has so much to offer with minor league hockey and great high school athletics, but it’s also in the heart of Big Ten country and within a two-hour radius of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison. I couldn’t have asked for a better geographic launch point for my career.”
At WREX, Cohen is excited for the chance to report on all levels and types of sport. “High school basketball is already in full force, as well as Rockford’s AHL team. Since it’s the NBC affiliate, we’ll be jumping right into coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics, and I’m eager to be a part of that.”
While at Syracuse University, Cohen gained considerable anchoring and reporting experience on CitrusTV, the student-run television studio. This spring, he served as a one-man band covering the university basketball team in San Jose, CA at the NCAA Tournament. He’s also covered football, field hockey and lacrosse.
A 2013 STAA All-American as one of the top collegiate sports broadcasters in the country, Cohen has been an STAA client ever since. “It was comforting to know that STAA was in my corner during the application process. Advice for improving my profile, cover letter, resume, and everything else in between was instrumental in successfully landing that first job. I’ve been with STAA since May, and it’s been a great relationship!”
Cohen suggests that patience and persistence are two important traits for sports broadcasting job seekers. “Patiently waiting for an opportunity while improving daily on the craft was a lesson I learned in high school as a member of the drama department, and then as an underclassmen in the Syracuse student media. This industry is a meritocracy, and if you stay the course, it always pays off. As for persistence, stay on top of prospective news and program directors. Keep your name in front of them once a week amidst the growing pile of applications on their desks.”
(Visit Dan’s STAA Talent Page).