Senior Writer at ESPN.com
She is the 2021 President of American Football Writers Association
Heather Dinich joined ESPN in 2007 as the Atlantic Coast Conference reporter on the internet site, ESPN.com. After six years, she was assigned to cover the College Football Playoffs beginning in 2013. She has also served as the host of the 'Championship Drive: Who's In?' for seven consecutive seasons, which airs on ESPN Radio. Presently, Dinich works for ESPN.com as a senior writer and studio analyst covering National College Football. She is also a regular contributor on programs like ESPN 'College GameDay Radio,' 'SportsCenter,' and 'Get Up!.'
- By Ashna Tamrakar
- Update :
Heather Dinich is a senior writer at ESPN.com covering National College Football.
Who Is Heather Dinich?
Heather Dinich is a well-known name in sports journalism. She began herprofessional journeyat ESPN in 2007 and now works as a senior writer for ESPN.com and a studio analyst covering National College Football. She also appears regularly on programs like ESPNCollege GameDay Radio, SportsCenter,andGet Up!
Though Dinich has spent most of her career on ESPN.com, she also appeared on shows likeMike & Mikeand ESPNFirst Take. Dinich has also worked as a commentator on the podcastChampionship Drive: Who's In? for the past seven seasons. She previously worked as a sports reporter for the Baltimore Sun, primarily covering University of Maryland athletics. She is also the 2021 President of the American Football Writers Association.
Dinich is married to John Dutton and is a mother of three young boys.
Early Life and Education
Heather Dinich wasbornon 25 October 1974, in Indiana, to Dave Dinich and Carol. She grew up with two siblings. Dinich was fascinated by sports from a very young age.
Dinich is a diehard fan of the baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates. Both her parents, Dave and Carol, still live in Pottsville house. Dinich still has two of her most prized possessions at her parent's house: the autographs from former Pirates stars Andy Van Slyke and Bill Mazeroski.
She attended Pottsville Area High School, where she graduated in 1997 and was a member of Tide Lines, the student newspaper, throughout her high school years. She enrolled at Indiana University, Bloomington, and earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2001.
Early Career
After graduation, Dinich got an opportunity to work asan internfor The Washington Post, covering men's college basketball. She soon became a well-known face for her report on the legendary coach Bobby Knight. Due to her remarkable work, she received an offer from the Centre Daily Times and was hired as a reporter. Dinich worked there for two years, covering Penn State Football, but was forced to leave owing to frequent confrontations with head coach Joe Paterno.
She then started working at Baltimore Sun as a sports journalist. There, she covered both the men's basketball and football teams at the University of Maryland. She served at the Baltimore Sun for the following three years before being offered a career-defining job.
Career at ESPN
In 2007, Dinich was recruited by ESPN, and she accepted the position as an Atlantic Coast Conference reporter on their internet site, ESPN.com. As an Atlantic Coast Conference beat reporter, she wrote blogs and game stories for ESPN. She stayed in that position for about six years before being assigned to cover the College Football Playoffs beginning in 2013.
Since then, she has held various other responsibilities, including hosting the podcastChampionship Drive: Who's In?forseven consecutive seasons, which airs on ESPN Radio. The show summarized the most crucial games and how the outcomes affect the College Football Playoff standings. Dinich and other co-hosts like Jonathan Vilma analyze the weekend's victories and defeats and discussed which clubs would be best positioned to be the final four playoff picks.
Presently, the reporter works for ESPN.com as a senior writer covering National College Football and studio analyst. She is also a regular contributor on ESPNCollege GameDay Radio,SportsCenter, andGet Up!.
Get Up!is ESPN's morning show hosted by Mike Greenberg, which features a diversified team of analysts discussing and dissecting the latest sports news.
Other Works
Dinich had alsoservedas a producer in several episodes ofGet Up!,SportsCenter,The Paul Finebaum Show,College Football Live,College GameDay,NFL Live, andKeyshawn, JWill and Zubin.
She had also featured in shows likeMike & Mike(2016),The Will Cain Show(2018), ESPN'sFirst Take(2018),Daily Wager(2019),The Paul Finebaum Show(2020-2021), and many more.
2021 President of American Football Writers Association
Dinich is the2021 Presidentof the American Football Writers Association. The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA),foundedin 1941, is a group of men and women who cover college football from all around North America.
Among the members are reporters, broadcasters, publicists, and significant executives from all aspects of the game. The FWAA is in charge of game-day operations, prominent awards, and an All-American squad, among other things.
Personal Life
Dinich ismarriedto her longtime partner John Dutton, a Pottsville native. The two are parents to three sons, William, Benjamin, and John Jr. The family of five currently lives in Annapolis, Maryland.
Mike Greenberg Football Writers Association of America John Dutton Jonathan Vilma
