Who is Cris Collinsworth’s wife? All about Holly Collinsworth

Cris Collinsworth has been married to his wife Holly Collinsworth (née Bankemper) since 1989.

NFL broadcasters first met Holley in Cincinnati in the 1980s. At the time, he was playing for the Cincinnati Bengals and she was pursuing a law degree. She graduated in 1988, the same year Chris proposed, and they married the following year.

They have four children, including daughters Katie and Ashley, and sons Austin and Jack. In a January 2001 interview with Cincinnati Magazine, Chris said he was “just lucky” to have met Holly.

“She’s amazing. I have a really strong wife,” he said. “It’s amazing all the things she can handle, especially while I’m away from home.”

So, who is Cris Collinsworth’s wife? Here’s everything you need to know about Holly Collinsworth’s relationship with the commentators.

Holly grew up in Kentucky

Holly was born on December 23, 1963 in Fort Thomas, Kentucky to Charlene and John Vankemper. She attended Highlands High School and later Chris worked there.

In 2019, Holly was named Highland Alumni of the Year. She also served on the board of the Fort Thomas Educational Foundation.

she is a lawyer

Holly attended the University of Kentucky for her bachelor’s degree, where she was a cheerleader for the Kentucky Wildcats. Holly and Chris then both attended the University of Cincinnati School of Law. Holly earned her JD in 1988 and Chris earned his own three years later.

After receiving her law degree, Holly practiced law and is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association. She has worked in both Fort Thomas and Longboat Key, Florida.

Holly and Chris met in the mid-1980s

Holly and Chris met in the 1980s, just before she entered law school and while Chris was playing for the Cincinnati Bengals.

One evening, she went to dinner at The Puscinct Restaurant in Cincinnati, which Chris co-owns. A mutual friend there set up a date, he told Cincinnati Magazine in January 2001.

they married in 1989

Chris proposed to Holly in July 1988. However, the engagement did not go as planned.

The former football player wanted to propose on TV during the MLB All-Star Game being played at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Prior to the broadcast, he asked fellow commentator Al Michaels if he could give him a shout-out.

“We could have been successful in a normal game like Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia,” Michaels told the Herald-Mail in September 2018. “But it was the All-Star Game, so that would have been difficult.”

Instead, Chris proposed to Holly on a bridge over the Ohio River after the game. The couple married the following year on June 3, 1989.

Chris and Holly have four children

Since their marriage, the couple has had four children, two daughters and two sons. Katie was born in 1990, Austin was born on December 24, 1991, Ashley was born in 1993, and Jack was born on February 13, 1995.

According to LinkedIn, Katie attended the University of Florida and works at GolfNow, a division of the Golf Channel. She has four children with her husband Patrick Hughes.

Jack, like his sister, works in broadcasting. He contributed to ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown before joining NBC Sports in 2020.

Meanwhile, older brother Austin was captain of the Notre Dame football team while playing safety in the 2010s. According to LinkedIn, Chris has been the chief operating officer of Pro Football Focus, a sports analytics company he owns, since 2020.

The couple’s youngest child, Ashley, was a track and field athlete at Harvard University, where she graduated with a degree in psychology. She and her husband, Jared Briley, have a daughter, Collins, who was born in October 2024.

Chris and Holly founded a nonprofit organization

In 2002, Chris and Holly founded the non-profit Cris Collinsworth Proscan Foundation (CCPSF). The fund aims to fight breast cancer and support child development through chess in the Cincinnati area. The organization’s website lists both Chris and Holly as board members.

On Mother’s Day in May 2020, Austin shared a photo of his mother on his Instagram account (which he has since made private), paying homage to her sense of community.

“My mother always taught me that selfless service is the greatest form of gratitude,” he wrote. “She has dedicated her life to this. She was the driving force behind rebuilding three elementary schools, Highlands Middle School and Highlands High School. She is a hero in her hometown and an even more amazing mother.”