Derek Mobley, BA’91, has shaped the viewing of three decades of major sporting events, including Rose Bowls, Wimbledons, Olympics, and many more.
Initially starting at ESPN as a college student, Mobley assisted the network whenever it was on campus for an Indiana University sporting event. During his time at IU, he worked at WTIU all four years and was part of the Drum Corps International broadcast crews for PBS/WTIU.
He graduated from IU with a degree in telecommunications.
Since joining ESPN in 1990, Mobley has risen to be one of the top directors in sports television, including a six-time Sports Emmy Awards winner and 42-time nominee. During his rise, he has played a key role in ESPN’s production of marquee properties, specifically, college football, Grand Slam tennis, and college basketball, directing thousands of events for ESPN and ABC. His 22 years of directing college football include the most-watched college football game of all time.
During his 34-year ESPN career, he has run productions on 15 properties for ESPN, including directing 15 College Football National Championships, 15 Rose Bowl Games, and, as director of ABC’s Saturday Night Football package, the majority of ESPN’s marquee regular-season college football games since 2006.
Beyond college football and basketball, his directing resume is vast, highlighted by 21 Wimbledon Championships, 16 US Open Championships, 10 Scripps National Spelling Bees, seven Open Championships, and 18 seasons of Major League Baseball, including Division Series Playoffs.
Mobley has worked on several other shows and events, including multiple Super Bowls, Olympics, NHL, X Games, Little League World Series, College World Series, Great Outdoor Games, Americas Cup, boxing, UFC, Masters Par 3 Contest, and the PGA Championship.
He is currently in his second season as the director of “Monday Night Football.”
He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and is a two-time SVG Sports Media Award winner.
He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with his wife, Kathleen, and daughters, Claudia and Madeline.