Renowned sports bettor and former ESPN sports talk radio personality Dave Cokin has passed away at the age of 71 just weeks after disclosing his cancer diagnosis.
For decades, Cokin was a prominent professional handicapper but announced his retirement just weeks ago, revealing to his audience that he had only a short time left to live.
‘The time has come,’ Cokin began a series of messages on June 25. ‘About a year ago, I went to the doctor for what was supposed to be a 30-minute biopsy, but it extended to an 8-hour operation.’
‘After discussing with the doctors and considering my options, I decided to forgo chemotherapy and let nature take its course. Initially, the prognosis was weeks to maybe months. Yet, here I am a year later and feeling okay, though I may look terrible, a look I’ve been told I had for quite some time.’
‘Sadly, after a long struggle that yielded little progress, the cancer has now focused its efforts on my carotid artery. I don’t need to be a medical expert to understand the implications of that.’
Former ESPN Radio betting host Dave Cokin has died after a battle with cancer at age 71
‘Let’s just say I’m not expecting any holiday gifts this year. I’ve got days, weeks, or maybe a couple of months left—then I’ll be gone.
‘So here’s the big news: I’m retiring. I’ll continue to handicap daily, as it’s been my passion for most of my life, and I will still share strong opinions on @WagerTalk, but there will be days when I simply take time to revisit some classic films with friends.
‘I apologize for the lengthy message, but it’s my detail to share. I want to express my gratitude to my closest friends and especially to Erin, who has twice saved my life.’
‘I think that about covers it. I’ve put everything in order, leaving money for those I feel deserve it for their loyalty. I look forward to making their lives better. I welcome replies and will respond as long as I am able. Based on what I anticipate, my end will likely be a straightforward, painless exit. I truly hope I don’t leave in the middle of an excellent noir film!
‘Thank you so much to all who have engaged with my sporadically brilliant but mostly average tweets over the years. Your support has meant a lot to me.’
Lawrence Prezman, a fellow radio host, shared the news of Cokin’s passing, which occurred around 4:00 AM on Tuesday.
‘It’s not often that we encounter a legend in our lifetimes; the entire WagerTalk team and I were fortunate to have had Dave in our work family for many years,’ remarked Lawrence.
Cokin announced his retirement weeks ago after his cancer targeted his carotid artery
Cokin, who was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, moved to Las Vegas in the late 1980s, where he began his broadcasting career as a guest on Lee Pete’s sports talk radio show, eventually co-hosting Pete’s Stardust Line, the longest-running sports betting show in the United States.
From 2011 to 2018, Cokin co-hosted ESPN Radio’s Las Vegas Sportsline betting show alongside Matt Youmans and was also the host of Cofield and Cokin on ESPN Radio.
In recent years, he shared his betting picks and insights on WagerTalk.
