Dean Ellington Cause Of Death: What Happened To ESPN Technical Director?

Dean Ellington cause of death has not been reported, and his family has yet to share any statement. The ESPN’s technical director is survived by his wife, Therelza, and their two kids. 

Ellington had been working for ESPN for the past 22 years. He joined them in 2008 as a remote studio technical director and was a longtime member of the College GameDay crew. 

He had worked as a technical director for ESPN on the NFL Drafts for several years, the FIFA World Cup 2014, the Ryder Cup, and The Masters. Ellington also won the Emmy five times. 

The SEC Network coordinating producer Baron Miller spoke on Dean’s demise.

Miller said that Dean showed everyone what real leadership looked like, and when he thinks of Dean, one word stands out, “kindness.” 

Dean Ellington Cause Of Death: What Happened To ESPN Technical Director?

Dean Ellington cause of death has not been revealed by his family. The ESPN’s technical director passed away on Tuesday night in his home.

His passing came as a shock to many, including his colleagues. One of his many colleagues, Mike Greenberg, shared the news of Dean’s passing on ESPN’s morning show, Get Up. 

Greenberg explained how important Dean was to their team and that it was a tight-knit group working day and night to make the show perfect.

Greenberg said, “He died suddenly on Tuesday night. Whenever a new technical person started on our crew, Dean taught them. Whenever anyone had a question, it was Dean who answered.”

Dean was one of six kids of Winston and Valda Ellington. His dad, Winston, arrived in the US in 1988 after living 41 years in Jamaica. One of Dean’s siblings, Dadrian Ellington, shared a photo of her standing alongside her brother as a tribute post.

One of Dean’s colleagues, Rick Kvietkus, shared a tribute post on his Facebook handle. Rich wrote, “I’m shocked & saddened by the passing of our colleague, Dean Ellington.

A true gentleman, a technical wizard. He had great taste in music. During pre-production, he was always jamming tunes, anything from Bob Marley to Metallica.”

Previously, in his dad’s obituary, it was mentioned that Winston loved listening to Bob Marley. So it’s understandable why he loved listening to Marley. 

Kvietkus also mentioned that if Dean was involved in a show, it would instantly become better. He also shared the time when Dean let him and his son share a room with him in Philadelphia when they went to watch the Army/Navy football game. 

Kvietkus wrote, “That’s the type of guy he was. Always helping people. I’ll miss his laugh & that wry smile. Rest In Peace, my friend.”

Dean Ellington Career 

The ESPN’s technical director, Dean Ellington, graduated from the University of Hartford with a mass communication degree in 1999. 

While pursuing his bachelor’s degree, Dean joined WTIC/WTXX TV as their remote supervisor. He worked there for five years and joined Fox 61 WTIC in 1999 as a production supervisor. 

During his time at Fox 61 WTIC, Ellington managed the technical staff of a local news station. Ellington’s big break came in 2008 when he joined ESPN as their remote studio technical director for the Super Bowl. 

That same year, he worked in the same position for several other sporting events, including The Masters and Ryder Cup. In 2017, Dean became the senior technical director and remained in that position until 2022.

He was also the technical director for the NFL Draft from 2008-2016. In 2022, Dean became the remote operations producer for ESPN and had been working on the morning show Get Up.