Dan Wetzel
Dan Wetzel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Norwell, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Massachusetts Amherst (1994) |
| Occupation(s) | Author, documentary producer, screenwriter, podcaster, senior writer |
| Known for | Senior Writer at ESPN; former national columnist for Yahoo! Sports; co-author of Life of a King; executive producer of Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez |
| Notable work | Life of a King (film), Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez (documentary), Epic Athletes biography series, Death to the BCS |
Dan Wetzel is an American author, documentary producer, screenwriter, podcaster, and Senior Writer at ESPN. Previously, he served as the national columnist for Yahoo! Sports.
Career
Throughout his career, Wetzel has reported on a wide range of prominent sports worldwide, including the NFL, college football, NBA, NASCAR, MLB, NHL, mixed martial arts, both men's and women's World Cups, and the Olympics. His articles were regularly published in the sports section of Yahoo.com.
He has been featured repeatedly in the collection Best American Sports Writing, received more than a dozen honors from the Associated Press Sports Editors, and frequently ranks as a finalist for "National Sportswriter of the Year" awarded by the National Sports Media Association.
During his tenure at Yahoo! Sports, Wetzel played a key role in investigative journalism uncovering scandals in professional and collegiate sports involving institutions such as Miami, Ohio State, Connecticut, Oregon, USC, as well as organizations like the IOC, FIFA, sports agencies, and the NCAA. His expertise lies particularly in covering sports-related criminal cases, including high-profile incidents involving Jerry Sandusky, Larry Nassar, and Aaron Hernandez.
In his capacity as a screenwriter, Wetzel co-authored the 2014 motion picture Life of a King, featuring performances by Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Dennis Haysbert. He also serves as executive producer for Netflix’s three-part documentary series Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, produced alongside Blackfin Entertainment and Momentum Content. Wetzel appears on-screen within the series as well.
He co-hosts a weekly radio program on Yahoo Sports Radio with Pat Forde and is a regular host of the College Football Enquirer podcast alongside Forde and Ross Dellenger. This podcast ranks among the most popular college football podcasts nationwide.
Wetzel is a New York Times best-selling author with multiple sports-themed books to his credit, including the Epic Athletes biography series targeted at children.
Originally from Norwell, Massachusetts, Wetzel graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1994. During his time there, he majored in political science and served as editor of the campus newspaper (The Daily Collegian).
Bibliography
- Sole Influence: Basketball, Corporate Greed and the Corruption of America's Youth examines sneaker companies and AAU Basketball.
- Glory Road, co-written with Don Haskins, recounts the story of the 1966 Texas Western Miners—the first college basketball team to start five African-American players—and was adapted into Disney’s 2006 film Glory Road.
- Runnin' Rebel: Shark Tales of "Extra Benefits," Frank Sinatra, and Winning It All, written with former UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian.
- Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph, co-authored with Alonso Mourning about his life journey and kidney transplant recovery.
- Death to the BCS: The Definitive Case Against the Bowl Championship Series, written with Josh Peter and Jeff Passan, critiques the former college football system used to determine national champions.
Epic Athletes
A series of biographies designed for young readers:
- Stephen Curry
- Caitlin Clark
- Alex Morgan
- Serena Williams
- Tom Brady
- LeBron James
- Lionel Messi
- Simone Biles
- Kevin Durant
- Patrick Mahomes
- Zion Williamson
Views
Dan Wetzel has been an outspoken opponent of the BCS method used to decide the NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship, advocating instead for a playoff format. He co-wrote Death to the BCS, a work that challenges the traditional bowl championship system.
On March 18, 2013, Wetzel's investigative series regarding the Steubenville High School rape verdict attracted significant public attention. His reporting notably refrained from expressing sympathy toward the convicted players, focusing rather on the entrenched rape culture and the role of bystanders that facilitated the assault. This perspective received acclaim from various media organizations and advocates for sexual assault prevention, who recognized it as a model of responsible journalism that avoids victim-blaming. Poynter described it as "precisely the type of journalism we need more frequently."
Criticism
On February 22, 2014, Dan Wetzel authored a piece on Yahoo titled "Deal with it, South Korea," which supported the official results of the ladies' singles figure skating competition at the XXII Olympic Winter Games. This article sparked backlash in South Korea, where the Olympic Committee had lodged an official protest against the decision.