Dan McGrath’s passion for journalism started at a young age, delivering the newspaper he would one day write for to his neighbors on the South Side of Chicago. Despite protests from supervisors, young McGrath insisted on reading each issue before starting his route in the mornings before school. After school, McGrath tried his hand at basketball and sportswriting for the school newspaper, excelling at the latter. His high school basketball coach even advised him he was “better at writing about sports than he was at playing them.” These early experiences set his future in stone, and his passion for sports journalism never faltered in the years to come.
McGrath graduated from Leo Catholic High School in 1967 and soon enrolled at Marquette University. He continued writing through college, covering basketball in The Marquette Tribune during the Al McGuire era. With a journalism degree and fire under him, McGrath built an impressive post-collegiate career, writing for seven papers across six cities and five states before finding himself back in Chicago in 1996, writing for the same paper he once delivered, the Chicago Tribune.
During his 14 years as a sports editor at the Tribune, McGrath McGrath wrote through major historic sports events in Chicago, from the electric end of the Jordan era, to a White Sox World Series Championship, and ending on a high note in 2010 with a Blackhawks Stanley Cup victory. Through the highs and lows of Chicago sports, McGrath brought a knowledgeable and passionate voice to his column that spoke to fans across the city. Beyond his time contributing to the Tribune, McGrath also authored and edited six books on Chicago sports teams and received two Pulitzer Prize nominations for his expert commentary.
In 2010, McGrath retired from his full-time position, and his career took an honorable shift that same year when he heard his alma mater, Leo Catholic High School, was searching for a new president to help bring hope back into a struggling student body. McGrath knew he had to give back to the community that put him on the path to success in 1967.
McGrath is now the sitting president of the school. He leads fundraising and brings a strong vision, turning around the public perception of Leo and playing a key role in doubling enrollment since his arrival. Today, with 94 percent of students continuing their education after graduation, McGrath has proven the children of Leo Catholic High School simply needed a safe haven in the chaos.
Outside of his career, McGrath and his wife, Jo-Anna, have raised two children: Megan, a Chicago attorney, and Matt, Chief of Staff in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. Matt and his wife, WGN-TV anchor Lourdes Duarte, have given Dan and Jo-Anna their first grandchild, Maddie McG. The McGrath family carries on Dan’s passion for giving back to and bettering the city of Chicago.
Though not on a field or court, but through the ink of the Chicago Tribune, Dan McGrath has contributed immensely to the fabric of Chicagoland sports history. We are proud to honor Dan McGrath with the Excellence in Media Award, recognizing a career defined by integrity, storytelling, and an enduring commitment to the city he loves.