Tom Rinaldi, one of ESPN’s most prominent correspondents and storytellers, will deliver the 10th annual Chancellor’s Speaker Series presentation, which is part of the annual UNC Charlotte Civic Series presented by Bank of America.
“A Season of Change,” a conversation with Rinaldi and Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball coach Ron Sanchez is scheduled via Zoom at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 15. The conversation will explore social justice and racial equity issues in the world of sports, as well as the effects of COVID-19 on college and professional athletes. Access the Zoom link here: https://uncc.zoom.us/j/97948043427.
Since joining ESPN in 2002, Rinaldi has covered a broad spectrum of sports. In addition to assignments with the College Football Playoff National Semifinal and Championship games and the Rose Bowl, he is the network’s primary interviewer at golf’s Masters Tournament, does play-by-play for tennis matches at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and works the sidelines during NBA regular and post-season games.
Rinaldi is also known for his feature stories, which run on a variety of ESPN’s shows including College GameDay, E:60, SC Featured, Outside the Lines and SportsCenter. In 2020, for ESPN Films, he co-directed the documentary “Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible.” He has won 16 national Sports Emmy Awards and seven national Edward R. Murrow Awards.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Rinaldi is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Ron Sanchez is in his third season at the helm of the Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball team. Under Sanchez, the 49ers have signed the top-ranked recruiting class in Conference USA. In 2020, Sanchez was a finalist for the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the top minority coach at the Division I level by CollegeInsider.com.
Prior to coming to Charlotte, Sanchez was an integral part of three-time National Coach of the Year Tony Bennett’s staff for 12 years as they built Washington State and Virginia into national powers during their tenures. Sanchez is a graduate of the State University of New York College at Oneonta and holds a master’s degree in athletic administration and sports management from the University of Indiana.
The UNC Charlotte Civic Series presented by Bank of America includes three marquee lectures: the Chancellor's Speaker Series, the Barnhardt Seminar on Ethics and the TIAA Lecture; the series brings nationally recognized speakers to the University and greater Charlotte communities for thought-provoking conversations.