Aaron Ladd

Aaron Ladd joins KOMU 8-TV as Sports Director beginning January 5, 2026. 

A 2018 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Ladd brings a strong journalistic pedigree, major-market experience and engaging on-air style proven to connect with sports audiences and beyond. 

Ladd returns to Columbia by way of his hometown Atlanta, Georgia, where he worked as Weekend Sports Anchor for Atlanta News First/WANF-TV. 

Blending legacy broadcast news coverage with a social media spin, Ladd’s bylines have been picked up by national outlets like ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo Sports, The Athletic and more.

Before returning home, Ladd spent four years as Weekend Sports Anchor at KSHB 41 in Kansas City, Missouri covering the Kansas City Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl title run and much more. His viral interview with Patrick Mahomes Sr. after the 2023 AFC Championship Game has over 70 million views across all platforms.

While in Kansas City, Ladd also served as a weekly contributor with 96.5 The FAN/KNFZ-FM and hosted ‘Chiefs Coast 2 Coast’ on the Arrowhead Pride Podcast Network. He currently hosts ‘The Chiefs Squad Show’ twice weekly with the Locked On Podcast Network.

While an undergrad, Ladd worked as a general assignment news reporter for KOMU and Lead Intern for ZOUNation Magazine.

Upon graduating, Ladd served as a Digital Journalist for WMBF News in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — splitting time covering Coastal Carolina University athletics, general assignment news and serving as weekend digital content producer.

A graduate of Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia –Ladd’s fire for journalism and communication sparked early, serving as editor-in-chief for the student newspaper. 

Aaron is also a proud member of the National Association of Black Journalists and considers himself an ‘NABJ baby,’ growing up inside the organization and earning a national scholarship in 2014. 

Outside of work, Aaron enjoys going to concerts, training for his next marathon, collecting vinyl records and having a beer.