Neil Everett Morfitt (born 1961 or 1962)[1][2] is an American sportscaster. From 2007 until 2023, he was the co-anchor of the West Coast edition of SportsCenter alongside Stan Verrett.
Neil Everett | |
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Born | Neil Everett Morfitt 1961 or 1962 (age 62–63) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
Education | University of Oregon |
Title | SportsCenter Anchor |
Early life and education
Everett was born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Spokane, Washington.[3] He was a varsity starter in football and basketball at Lewis and Clark High School,[4][5] named to the all-city team in football at guard,[6][7] and also played on the defensive line.[8] He graduated in 1980.[9]
Everett attended Willamette University in Salem before transferring to the University of Oregon in Eugene and graduated in 1984.[10]
Career
Everett started out in broadcasting at KCST-FM in Florence on the central Oregon Coast, west of Eugene. He left the media field and moved to Hawaii,[11] where he worked 15 years as an athletic administrator at Hawaii Pacific University.[10] While still working full-time at HPU, Everett was hired at local ABC affiliate KITV, first as a news writer, then assignment editor, and finally as a sports anchor.[12]
In April 1999, Everett interviewed with ESPN on the recommendation of a friend, but was not hired. The following year, ESPN called him for another audition, and this time he was hired as an anchor on ESPNews.[13] In March 2009, he relocated to California to anchor the late-night Los Angeles edition of SportsCenter, which debuted on April 6, 2009.
On June 8, 2023, Everett announced that he was leaving ESPN and SportsCenter after 23 years.[14]
Personal life
While he was a student at Oregon in 1983, Everett's mother Jackie, a high school teacher, died from cancer at age 45.[15]The use of his middle name as a professional surname is a tribute to his mother, a UO alumna and Astoria native, who would call him by his first and middle name when his behavior was less than optimal.[4][10]
Everett's stepfather, Dave Robertson, was a longtime high school basketball coach at Shadle Park and won the state title in 1981,[16] led on the court by Mark Rypien.[4][17] A math teacher, Robertson later coached at Gonzaga Prep.[18]
References
External links
- ESPN bio – Neil Everett
- Athlete Promotions – speakers – Neil Everett
- Beta Theta Pi Alumni Association – Neil Everett
- Neil Everett interview for "The Beta Theta Pi" magazine