Jordan Cornette has found himself again at NBC.
The former Notre Dame captain and the school’s all-time blocks leader recently joined NBC’s NBA coverage team as a sideline reporter, working alongside Ashley ShahAhmadi and Zora Stephenson. Cornette had already built a solid on-camera presence at ESPN, and that only grew after he left Bristol.
His 2023 exit came during one of ESPN’s biggest layoffs in recent memory. It not only cost Cornette a coveted spot at the ACC Network, but it also took down heavy hitters like Jeff Van Gundy, Marc Jackson, Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber, and Jalen Rose, among others.
Speaking with Sports Media Watch’s Derek Futterman, Cornette opened up about being blindsided by his layoff at the Worldwide Leader, admitting the experience shook his confidence but ultimately forced him to reassess and grow.
“I was completely blindsided because I thought I was safe, but it was a great learning opportunity for me that the jobs that we hold [are] not ours,” he said. “We’re just borrowing them, and anybody can be replaceable, so never put too much of your identity in your job. Give all you can to the job, but understand that there’s so much more to you than just the role you hold, and also be grateful in every day you step in and get to do the really cool things we get to do in sports.”
“I’m grateful for ESPN because of that platform it provided for me to kind of showcase my ability,” Cornette continued. “I learned very quickly that there was a high demand for me to go other places, and to find NBC, what ultimately became an even better place for me and an even better place to work and thrive and work in even cooler entities and properties and be a part of those. Somehow, what I thought was one of the tougher days of my career ended up being the best thing that ever happened for me.”
In an industry that rarely offers second chances so clearly, Cornette’s ESPN exit has opened the door for him in ways he never imagined before. Cornette has become a staple on Big Ten College Countdown and NBC’s college basketball coverage, while also handling hosting duties for GOLF Channel events. And, he’s set to play a major role in the NBA’s return to NBC as well.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.