| Birth name | Darius Behzad Nowkhah |
|---|---|
| Birth date | June 23, 1976 (age 50) |
| Birth place | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Education | University of Oklahoma '98 |
| Title | SEC Network Lead Anchor |
| Website | espnpressroom.com/us/bios/nowkhah_dari |
Darius Behzad "Dari" Nowkhah (born June 23, 1976) is the lead anchor at SEC Network, an American sports television network (he was chosen as a head anchor when it began airing in August 21, 2014). Nowkhah hosts extensive college football and college basketball programming for the collegiate network and also provides play-by-play for the network's college basketball and college baseball coverage.
Nowkhah's move to ESPNU's Charlotte, NC headquarters came after seven years in Bristol, CT where he hosted a variety of shows for ESPN. Among the shows Nowkhah hosted were SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight and College Football Live.
He fills in as a host on a variety of other ESPN Radio programs. Before working at ESPN, Nowkhah worked at KCFW-TV in Kalispell, Montana, as well as KLKN-TV in Lincoln, Nebraska and KOTV in Tulsa.[1]
Nowkhah graduated from Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma,[2] and then from the University of Oklahoma in 1998[3] with a degree in broadcast journalism.
Personal life
Nowkhah and his wife Jenn have four children.[4] On Tuesday, September 20, 2011, Nowkhah announced the death of his infant son, Hayden, who died from complications arising from myocarditis, a viral infection that compromised the heart. He and his wife have since set up Hayden's Hope, a foundation dedicated to helping families cover expenses due to their children's organ transplants.[4]
Nowkhah is the son of Cy Nowkhah, a 1975 University of Tulsa graduate who immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1969.[5]
References
- ^ "Dari Nowkah". espnmediazone.com. ESPN MediaZone. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ Bill Haisten, "Spavital situation is quite unique", Tulsa World, June 21, 2006.
- ^ Matt Doyle, "Nowkhah takes job at ESPN", Tulsa World, May 28, 2004.
- ^ Korbelik, Jeff (13 November 2011). "Jeff Korbelik: ESPNU's Nowkhah overcoming tragedy". journalstar.com. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ Haisten, Bill. "Tulsa native Dari Nowkhah rises from KOTV to ESPN". tulsaworld.com. Tulsa World. Retrieved 2 May 2013.