ESPN Senior Researcher, 41, Dies After Cancer Battle

The job of a sports information researcher is often rewarding to those around them, but rarely in a public way. That’s why Zach Jones, who died Sunday after a two-year-long battle with colon cancer, did not become a household name until today.

Jones was 41.

ESPN anchor Randy Scott offered a tribute to his colleague during Monday’s airing of SportsCenter. 

“You may have never seen him on the screens,” Scott said, “but you saw his work on our live golf coverage, our women’s college basketball coverage, or on any of our SportsCenter shows.”

“I saw Zach in the cafeteria just a couple of weeks ago,” Scott said. “He was hopeful. He was also reflective. He just wanted his family to be OK after a recent move to Texas." 

Jones and his wife, Amber, met in San Diego, where Jones worked as a sports writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune and North County Times after graduating from Stanford. They moved to Connecticut when Jones was hired to ESPN’s research staff in 2010.

Jones had continued to work for ESPN remotely from Texas since June while undergoing cancer treatments.

"May you rest in peace Zach," ESPN SportsCenter anchor Kevin Negandhi wrote on his Twitter/X account Monday. "A devoted dad who loved golf, the Chargers and his family. He was a fantastic researcher and had the perfect demeanor for TV. He will be missed by so many. Sending all of our love to his wife, son and their family. F*ck cancer."

Jones is survived by his wife, Amber, and their 10-year-old son, Silas.

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