Greg Cosell

Biography

Born in 1956 in Queens, New York, Greg Cosell grew up in Flushing, approximately ten minutes from Shea Stadium, as the only child in a middle-class family. He was an all-city shortstop and basketball player at Francis Lewis High School. He is the nephew of iconic broadcaster Howard Cosell, though he emphasizes their relationship was familial rather than professional, limited by geography and his uncle's demanding schedule. Cosell attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he played basketball and majored in American history and political science, graduating in 1978. After a year teaching high school and coaching baseball in Michigan, where he helped lead his team to a state championship as third base coach, he applied to NFL Films on a whim and was hired by founder Ed Sabol as a producer in January 1979. In 1984, Cosell and NFL Films President Steve Sabol created "Monday Night Matchup," revolutionizing football analysis by breaking down game film in an in-depth X-and-O format. Initially hosted by Chris Berman with analysts Steve Sabol and former Giants coach Allie Sherman, the show became "Edge NFL Matchup" in 1994 and moved to Sunday mornings. The program's strategic breakdowns pioneered many analytical elements now standard in NFL broadcasts, including concepts that influenced John Madden's telestrator work. A watershed moment came in 1994 when NFL Films became the dubbing center for all coach's tape, giving Cosell exclusive access to "all-22" camera angles showing every player on every play—footage unavailable to anyone outside NFL coaching staffs. Cosell's meticulous film study, often exceeding seventy hours weekly during the season, has earned extraordinary respect throughout the NFL. Coaches like John Fox and coordinators including Mike Zimmer and Scott Linehan regularly consult him. Multiple general managers and coordinators have stated publicly that Cosell could successfully serve as an NFL general manager. Raiders offensive coordinator Al Saunders called him "one of the premier resources of football knowledge in the country" with "insight and knowledge unparalleled." He co-authored "The Games That Changed the Game: The Evolution of the NFL in Seven Sundays" (2011) with Ron Jaworski and David Plaut. Cosell appears regularly on SiriusXM Fantasy Football Morning, "One Bills Live," and "The Herd with Colin Cowherd." He resides in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, with his wife Debora and two daughters, Emily and Jessica.