Jil Gossard-Cook has put more than 20 years into working in the sports television world. She’s got five Emmy’s to show for it on her mantle and owns one of the best views in any arena on any given night. Our Despina Barton explains how the former Stetson golfer and Orlando Magic intern climbed to the highest ranks and found a way to have it all:
- Jil Gossard-Cook's first game producing was for the Orlando Solar Bears in 1998
- Gossard-Cook is is one of the few full time female game producers in the NBA
- She played golf at Stetson and interned with the Orlando Magic early on in her career
For 82 days a year, Jil Gossard-Cook is calling all the shots in a giant production truck in front of 15 camera monitors.
“I watch basketball for a living,” Gossard-Cook said. “So no sympathy for me—it’s awesome!”
That’s because she is a Fox Sports Southeast producer who is in charge of all the Atlanta Hawks broadcasts.
“I am pretty confident, people say a little too confident but you kind of have to be,” Gossard-Cook explained. “You kinda have to be, to make the split second decisions or to tell 40 union workers what you want and how you want it.”
She enjoys telling the stories of the players most.
And for the last three years she has been working with Bob Rathbun and Basketball Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins in the booth. Together bringing those storylines to life and creating some award winning shows.
“Jil cracks the whip and she’s tough (laughter) No I am just joking,” Wilkins said of working with Jil.
“I will tell you the honest truth with you in all sincerity it’s the best person I’ve worked with as far as a producer since I’ve been doing television.”
Jil is one of the few full time female game producers in the NBA.
“I think what’s unique about it, having a female producer, is she gives a female perspective to things,” Rathbun added. “The pictures that she chooses the look that she wants, it’s different and its better.”
“I call this my NBA 2.0—which is awesome because you don’t get a lot of second chances,” Gossard-Cook said of her second go around producing NBA games.
That’s because 21 years ago she first cut her teeth in the business here in Orlando; producing her first game for the Orlando Solar Bears in 1998.
The next year she made the jump over to the Magic, where she worked with longtime play-by-play broadcaster David Steele.
“She was a pro from day one, really knew her stuff and I don’t think it’s surprising (to see where she is at now) because we knew Jil beforehand—she did her homework, she knew what she was doing, knew the NBA, knew the Magic,” Steele said of his time working with Gossard-Cook.
Jil credits her success to timing and her mental sharpness and toughness-- which she says comes from her golf playing days at Stetson.
Her biggest strength though is out working everyone.
“(I’m always) Learning a lot, reading more, knowing more about the teams than anyone else and that made me – I am answering every question and I can answer it better than you and I should be here,” Jil added.
While there is a grind to being on the road and missing out on some big family moments during the season, she relishes when the two worlds get to come together. Like Friday when her two children and husband joined her in Orlando.
“That’s all they’ve known, they’ve known I’ve traveled and at home it’s ‘Mom, gets to go do this work for us,’ is kind of the attitude that we have at home—it’s never ‘I feel guilty,’” Gossard-Cook explained.
This stop in Orlando is her favorite in the NBA as memories flood in from her nine years working here. She doesn’t get as much time as she’d like to catch up with everyone but that’s ok because there is a show to get on the air and an audience to entertain.
“There are only 30 of these jobs, it was great to do it the first time around and it’s kind of nice this time – I am a lot better now (laugher) so it’s really nice to get another shot.”