Willie Geist

Willie Geist is a journalist and New York Times bestselling author. Geist spent his childhood in New Jersey and went on to attend Vanderbilt University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science. While in college, he was the editor of the school’s newspaper, The Vanderbilt Hustler, which helped to build the foundation for his reporting career later on.

After graduation, Geist first entered the journalism world as a sports reporter, working for companies such as Sports Illustrated and CNN Sports. He earned himself a permanent spot as a reporter on MSNBC after substituting as a host for their early morning time slot. He began hosting the segment Morning Joe alongside Joe Scarborough in 2007. In 2016, he was named the host of Sunday TODAY.

The journalist established a name for himself while hosting Morning Joe, later earning his own segment titled Way Too Early with Willie Geist, which lasted from 2009 to 2012. He continued to cover sporting events, and has covered the Olympics for NBC since 2010. Geist has also earned numerous accolades for his coverage of American mass shootings throughout his career.

The reporter married high-school sweetheart Christina Sharkey in 2003, and the couple share children Lucie, born in 2007, and George, born in 2009.