New ‘Today’ co-host Willie Geist learned by example from his dad growing up in Ridgewood
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2012, 11:38 PM
BY VIRGINIA ROHAN AND KARA YORIO
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD
On the ball fields of Ridgewood, Willie Geist once looked to his well-known father, Bill, for playing tips. Now, it’s Willie’s moment in the spotlight, having been officially named co-host of the 9 a.m. hour of NBC’s “Today” on Wednesday.
CBS news correspondent and author Bill Geist with his son, Willie Geist, co-host of MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ and newly named co-host on ‘Today.’
On the phone, Bill Geist, the “CBS News Sunday Morning” personality, declared, “This is the father of the famous Willie Geist,” in that distinctive, bemused, folksy voice. “I’m extremely proud. At first, I was reluctant to say ‘proud,’ because that kind of insinuates that I had something to do with it. I mean, we never had any sit-down talks where I told him how to be successful.”
