Tracy McCool grew up in Northeast Ohio. She attended Copley High School in Copley, Ohio, an Akron-area suburb, during the mid-1980s. She later enrolled at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, where she studied in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
As a junior in 1992, she joined the campus TV station (TV2) and switched to a broadcast major after developing a strong interest in the field. She earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from Kent State, graduating in 1994.After these educational milestones, details of McCool’s early personal life remain private.
| Fact | Details |
| Full Name | Tracy McCool |
| Profession | News Anchor |
| Net Worth (2026) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Income Source | Fox 8 salary |
| Current Role | Evening Co-Anchor |
| Experience | 20+ years |
| Education | Kent State University |
| Career Start | Fox 8 intern |
| Milestone | Joined Fox 8 full-time (2000) |
| Known For | Long-time Cleveland anchor |
Tracy McCool during her career at Fox 8 News, where she built a long-standing reputation as a trusted television journalist in Northeast Ohio. Tracy McCool began her career at Cleveland’s Fox 8 (WJW-TV) during college. As a Kent State University student she interned at Fox 8 Newsand was soon hired on a part-time basis as an associate produceron the station’s early-morning newscasts. After graduation she continued behind the scenes (even producing the morning show) before moving into an on-air role. In 2000 McCool signed on full-time as a general-assignment reporter for Fox 8. These early years at WJW laid the foundation for her later anchoring roles.
McCool then moved to small-market on-air work to hone her reporting skills. From 1997 to 1998 she served as a reporter at WICU-TV in Erie, Pennsylvania. In that tight-knit market she covered a wide variety of local news stories, from community events to breaking news. This Erie assignment gave her valuable hands-on experience in front of the camera and helped prepare her for larger markets.
In the late 1990s McCool continued gaining experience in Ohio television. She reported for stations serving the greater Columbus market, further sharpening her reporting and anchoring skills. Notably, from 1998–2000she was a reporter at WTOV-TV(Steubenville, Ohio), whose coverage extended into the Eastern Ohio and Columbus region. These years in the Columbus news market added depth to her on-air resume before she returned to Cleveland.
After returning to Cleveland, McCool played a key role in Fox 8’s regional expansion. In the early 2000s she was tapped to lead the station’s Akron/Summit County news bureaubased at the Summit Mall in Fairlawn. She was first running Fox 8’s News Bureau at the Akron Summit Mall, helping establish that outpost for the station. Her work there involved covering local developments across Summit County and strengthening the station’s presence in the region.
By the mid-2000s McCool had moved from reporting into anchoring. In 2005she was promoted to co-anchor Fox 8’s weekday morning newscast, becoming a regular presence for early-morning viewers. Over the following years, she developed a strong on-air identity as part of the station’s morning team, delivering daily news coverage and filling in as an anchor when needed.
Tracy McCool delivering morning news coverage for Northeast Ohio viewers during her time as a Fox 8 morning show co-anchor, providing reliable updates to early risers. In late 2011, Fox 8 announced McCool’s transition to its evening newscasts. Beginning in January 2012 she became co-anchor of the station’s 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. newscasts, marking a significant advancement in her career. She continues to serve as a principal evening anchor at Fox 8, contributing to the station’s flagship broadcasts and maintaining a long-standing role in Northeast Ohio television journalism.
As of 2026, Tracy McCool’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and no figures have been officially verified by major financial authorities. Her income is primarily derived from her role as a television news anchor and reporter at Fox 8 News in Cleveland, where she earns a salary. Specific details about her compensation are not publicly available.
Tracy McCool was married to John W. Cook. Public obituary records state that he died on May 9, 2023, with Tracy by his side.
Yes. She has been publicly associated with breast cancer awareness events, including participation in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walkin Cleveland.
Yes. Kent State featured McCool in 2014 when she returned as the university’s Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal.
According to a Kent State student publication, she switched to a broadcast major in 1992after joining the campus TV station, TV2, and developing a strong interest in television news.
She is best known as a longtime television journalist in Northeast Ohio, particularly for her work as an anchor at Fox 8 News in Cleveland. Public biographical sources consistently identify her as an evening anchor at the station.