To tweet: http://es.pn/1Dss1Fb

Will Oversee Editorial Operations for NFL, NHL and NASCAR Coverage

Mary Byrne, a leading journalist with 25 years in the news business, has joined ESPN Digital & Print Media as the new Senior Deputy Editor for NFL, NHL and NASCAR coverage. She will oversee editorial operations for Digital & Print’s daily coverage of these sports, including strategic and tactical planning, as well as cross-platform collaboration and integration with television, radio, fantasy and other ESPN entities.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mary, whose unique combination of energy, enthusiasm, experience and ability has made her a singular force,” said Patrick Stiegman, Vice President and Editorial Director, ESPN Digital & Print Media.

Added Chad Millman, Editor-in-Chief, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine, “Mary is a powerhouse journalist with a passion for news and an eye for storytelling. Her love for the work she does is infectious and surpassed only by the exciting ideas she has about how to incorporate the many platforms important in our current world into everyday coverage.”

ESPN.com senior editorial director John Banks, who led the effort to build the NFL team into a nation of reporters, will assume an important new role tied to daily news and analysis. Banks will lead a team amplifying major on and off-the-field sports news with timely, original pieces and in coordination with the enterprise and daily breaking news and information groups.

Byrne will be based at ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters and will report to executive editor Patricia Mays.

About joining ESPN, Byrne said, “I am thrilled to be joining the ESPN team. It’s a tremendous opportunity to give NFL fans exciting, innovative coverage on any and all platforms. I can’t wait to get started.”

Byrne comes to ESPN from USA TODAY where she served as sports managing editor for the past three years. She was just the fourth to hold the role in USA TODAY’s more than 30-year history. Prior to that, she was the deputy sports editor for The Associated Press for six years.

She also served previously as USA TODAY’s Olympics editor and has held positions with the Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, Waterbury Republican-American and Oceanside Blade-Citizen during her career.

Byrne is serving as first vice president of the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) and is an active member of the Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM). A native of Michigan, she is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish.

-30-