As a teenager, Cohn, a New Yorker, demonstrated talent at ice hockey, joining her high school's boys team for eight games. She is also an avid New York Giants, New York Mets, New York Knicks and New York Rangers fan.

After graduating from Newfield High School, based in Selden on Long Island, Cohn attended SUNY at Oswego, graduating with a bachelors degree in arts and communications in 1981. She was also the goalie for the women's ice hockey team at Oswego and was inducted to the Oswego State athletics hall of fame in 2006.

Early years

In 1981, Cohn debuted as a sports anchor for the Patchogue, New York-based radio station WALK-AM (also WALK-FM). After leaving that station in 1984, she worked as a sports anchor for four other New York area radio stations until 1987. The most notable stop was a brief stint as an update person at WFAN, New York.

1987–1991

In 1987, Cohn made sportscasting history by becoming the first full-time U.S. female sports anchor on a national radio network when she was hired by ABC. She anchored WABC TalkRadio from 1987–89. In 1988, Cohn got her first television break, after being hired by what was at the time one of ESPN's top competitors, SportsChannel America. In 1989, she hosted a call-in radio sports show back home in New York.

After her stint at the SportsChannel America Network, being hired by KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington to work as a sports anchor there.

ESPN

Cohn returned to the East Coast in 1992, when she was hired by ESPN to work on SportsCenter, and has since become a familiar face among SportsCenter viewers. She has also been featured in many of the show's comical This is SportsCenter commercials.

In 2005, Cohn signed a contract extension with ESPN, which added play-by-play for WNBA telecasts to her duties.

On June 20, 2008, ESPN announced that Cohn would be a regular anchor for the new morning block of SportsCenter, which launched on August 11. She would have been the co-anchor, alongside Steve Berthiaume, of the first three hours of the block, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET on weekdays. Several weeks later, though, ESPN announced that the new SportsCenter morning block would be scaled back from nine to six hours, effectively canceling Cohn's section.

Cohn currently resides in Southbury, Connecticut.

Cohn was married to Stew Kaufman, whom she met while attending Oswego. They have two children. Among the things Cohn writes about in her book is the recent breakup of her marriage, and subsequent relationship with professional goalie coach Matt Voity, who is 17 years younger. In an interview on WFAN with Mike Francesa, Cohn admitted she occasionally sings backup at REO Speedwagon concerts.

On a May 26, 2010 episode of SportsCenter, Cohn said that she had adopted two cats named Billy and Smokey.