Gene Chizik is a college football analyst for ESPN and SEC Network, having been with SEC Network since its inception in 2014. Chizik is one of the main Saturday studio analysts for SEC Now alongside Chris Doering, and added ESPN’s Friday Night Football to his repertoire for the 2019 season.
Serving as Auburn’s head football coach from 2009 to 2012, defensive coordinator from 2002 to 2004 and playing linebacker at Florida, Chizik brings a wealth of SEC experience to the network. He was named the Home Depot Coach of the Year and SEC Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading Auburn to an undefeated season, SEC Championship and BCS National Championship – its first national championship in more than 50 years. Chizik was the second coach in collegiate history to be recognized as both the Nation’s Top Head Coach (2010) and Nation’s Top Assistant Coach (2004). He has been a part of two BCS National Championships, three conference championships and three undefeated seasons over the last 10 years of his coaching career.
In July 2011, Chizik released his first book, “All In: What It Takes to Be the Best,” which chronicles his coaching career, the pivotal role his faith has played in his life and career, and his secrets to success, both on and off the field. Published by Tyndale House Publishers, David Thomas, a senior writer and columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, collaborated on the book with Chizik. All of Chizik’s proceeds from the book have gone to The Chizik Family You Turn Foundation, Inc., which assists children and youth in the Auburn community.
Prior to his arrival at Auburn, Chizik was the defensive coordinator for four seasons (1998-01) at UCF, spent six seasons at Stephen F. Austin from 1992-97, and was the defensive ends coach at Middle Tennessee State for the 1990 and 1991 seasons. He began his coaching career as defensive coordinator (1986-88) at Seminole High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., before becoming a graduate assistant at Clemson in 1988-89.
Chizik graduated from the University of Florida in 1985 and earned his master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Clemson in 1991. A Clearwater, Fla., native, Chizik and his wife, Jonna, have three children and currently reside in Auburn.
Since 1988, Eli Gold has served as the radio play-by-play “voice” of the University Of Alabama Crimson Tide. He is now the longest tenured play-by-play “voice” in the Southeastern Conference. In addition, Eli has added coverage of Alabama Baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball and women’s basketball on the SEC television Network to his resume.
In the fall and winter months, Eli is part of Sports USA’s coverage of the National Football League. Sports USA, is one of the national radio networks to offer live, syndicated coverage of the NFL. Eli handles the play-by-play of NFL games in addition to play-by-play of post-season college football bowl and all-star games for Sports USA. Eli was inducted in to the State of Alabama Sports Hall-Of-Fame in 2014 and was inducted in to the University of Alabama Hall-Of-Fame in 2016. He was also the recipient of the 2019 Chris Schenkel Award, a lifetime broadcasting achievement award, handed out by the National Football Foundation and the college football hall of fame.
Eli was a member of NASCAR’s Motor Racing Network (MRN) for 41 years before stepping aside in May of 2016. Over the years, he served the network as a co-anchor, turn announcer and pit reporter. For 33 years, Eli also served as the host of “NASCAR Live”, a weekly, nationally syndicated radio call in show, which was heard on over 450 stations.
In his years behind the microphone, Eli reached the National Hockey League as the television play-by-play “voice” of the St. Louis Blues and the radio “voice” of the Nashville Predators. In addition, Eli also spent four years as a baseball play-by-play announcer in the Detroit Tigers organization. Eli has also served as a free lance play-by-play announcer at ATP Tennis Tournaments while also voicing many sports and non-sporting corporate videos. Eli has served as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN and TNN Motorsports in their coverage of NASCAR racing. He has also handled play-by-play for CBS Sports’ regional coverage of NCAA basketball.
Eli was hired as a play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports in late 2002, and worked for NBC as a play-by-play announcer for their coverage of the Arena Football League. Eli is a 5-time Alabama Sportscaster of the Year as voted by his peers in the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
Born in December 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, Eli resides in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife of 42 years, Claudette, and their daughter Elise, who is a graduate of the University of Alabama.
Sherri Jackson is a News Anchor at CBS 42 News in Birmingham. She anchors the weekday 4,5,6 and 10 PM Newscasts. The 2x EMMY Award winning veteran journalist has spent two decades telling the stories of the people of Central Alabama.
A member of the 2019 Inaugural Class of Business Alabama's Top Women in Alabama Media, Sherri holds several "Best News Anchor" Awards from the Alabama Broadcasters Association. She is currently the Region 9 Director for RTDNA. Sherri is the recipient of several prestigious journalism awards including EMMY, Regional Edward R. Murrow, National Headliner, Associated Press and Green Eye Shade awards. She’s done exemplary work as a journalist reporting on children and social media so families can be smart about smart devices, informing parents about sexual predators, fighting the war on cancer with information, and shining a spotlight on long overdue honors for those who’ve given their all to make our community what it is today.
Sherri is proud of the work she does at CB2 42 that impacts the lives of people in our community. She has worked on several special reports at CBS 42 that have received journalism awards. She is most proud of the 2014 EMMY award for “Hope and Honor: A tribute to four girls.” The documentary follows sculptor Elizabeth MacQueen’s making of the “Four Spirits” monument in Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park.
Prior to making her home in Birmingham in 1998, she worked for WGXA-TV in Macon, GA, WSAV-TV in Savannah GA, and WSAZ-TV in Charleston and Huntington West Virginia. The graduate of Morehead State University in Morehead, KY.