Michele Tafoya | |
|---|---|
 Tafoya in 2023 | |
| Born | (1964-12-17)December 17, 1964 (age 60) |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) University of Southern California (MBA) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mark Vandersall |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Sports Emmy Award winner (5) |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Genre(s) | Play-by-play Sideline reporter |
| Sports | |
| Employer | NBC Sports (2011–2022) ESPN (2000–2011) CBS Sports (1994–1999) |
Michele Tafoya (born December 17, 1964)[1][2] is an American reporter and retired sports broadcaster for CBS, ABC, ESPN, and NBC. Most notably, from 2011 to 2022, she worked primarily as asideline reporter forNBC Sunday Night Football. Over the course of her career, she covered theNational Football League, theOlympics, and professionalbasketball.
Since Tafoya's departure from sportscasting, she has worked as a conservative political consultant and makes television appearances to discuss the state of American politics and culture.
Tafoya is the daughter of Wilma (née Conley) and Orlando Tafoya.[1][3] She is ofHispanic descent.[3] She has one brother and three sisters.[3] She attendedMira Costa High School inManhattan Beach, California.[4] She received aBachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from theUniversity of California, Berkeley in 1988, and amaster's degree in business administration from theUniversity of Southern California in 1991.[5]
Tafoya worked as a host and reporter forKFAN-AM inMinneapolis, primarily forMinnesota Vikings andUniversity of Minnesota women's basketball broadcasts. She worked for WAQS (nowWFNZ) inCharlotte, where she went by the nameMickey Conley.[6] Conley is her mother's maiden name.[1]
Tafoya also worked for theMidwest Sports Channel, serving as aMinnesota Timberwolves host and sideline reporter, as well as a play-by-play commentator for women's Big Ten basketball andvolleyball.[citation needed] Tafoya then spent three years atWCCO-TV in Minneapolis as a sports anchor and reporter.[citation needed]
Tafoya joined CBS Sports in September 1994 as a reporter and host for the CBS Television Network's sports anthology showCBS Sports Spectacular andcollege basketball coverage. She served as a host ofAt The Half and as a reporter forcollege football games. She made her on-air debut at the1994 U.S. Open Tennis Championships.[7]
In 1997, The American Women in Radio and Television honored Tafoya with aGracie Award for "Outstanding Achievement by an Individual On-Air TV Personality" for her play-by-play calling ofWNBA games onLifetime Television.[7] Tafoya served as a reporter for the network's coverage of theNFL, college football—including the1998 National Championship Orange Bowl—and was late-night co-host withAl Trautwig of the1998 Winter Olympics inNagano.[citation needed] In addition to her diverse assignments, Tafoya hosted CBS'sNCAA Tournament selection show,Goodwill Games and theU.S Open Tennis Championships coverage. She left CBS at the end of 1999, after five years with the network.[citation needed]
Tafoya joinedABC Sports andESPN in January 2000, working as asideline reporter for ABC Sports'Monday Night Football during the2004 NFL season and the2005 NFL season before the program shifted to ESPN; she worked the sideline forESPN Monday Night Football beginning in2006. Tafoya was a co-host for theMike Tirico Show on ESPN radio. She helped ABC in its coverage ofSuper Bowl XL in Detroit as a sideline reporter withSuzy Kolber.[citation needed]
She was loaned toNBC Sports for the2000 Sydney Olympics as a Reporter forRhythmic Gymnastics and as the play-by-play woman forsoftball.
On October 10, 2003, Tafoya poured beer over two fans beneath her luxury box at the Metrodome during a University of Minnesota versusUniversity of Michigan game. Tafoya admitted to losing her composure and said she was embarrassed over the incident. She also issued a public apology.[8][9]
Tafoya formerly worked atNBA games onABC andESPN. On October 21, 2008, she announced she would be resigning from her duties as head NBA sideline reporter.[10]
Tafoya's other previous roles included a stint as the men's and women's NCAA basketball play-by-play and studio host and as acollege football andbasketball sideline reporter. She also has served as a substitute host onPardon the Interruption and as a panelist onThe Sports Reporters II. Her other ESPN assignments have included callingWNBA games as well as hostingskiing telecasts and working on ESPN's college basketball selection shows as a reporter. She also was a correspondent forSportsCenter andOutside the Lines.
In 2006, the Davie-Brown Index ranked Tafoya among the most likable TV sports personalities, including Biggest Trend-Setter.[citation needed] At the end of the 2010-2011 NFL season, she left ESPN for NBC Sports.[citation needed]
Tafoya was announced as the new eveningdrive timetalk radio host forWCCO-AM on April 19, 2009.[11] Her show began on June 1, 2009, where she teamed with afternoon host and lead-inDon Shelby on the schedule from 3-3:30 p.m., with Tafoya taking over from 3:30-6 p.m.[11] Her hosting ended on Friday, January 27, 2012.[12] She made the decision ahead of her schedule becoming busier with the Super Bowl and London Olympics.[12]
Tafoya joined "The KQ Morning Show" onKQRS-FM as co-host with long-time KQ morning personalityTom Barnard on September 8, 2016.[13] She left the KQRS morning show in March 2020.[13] The team dynamics were well received.[14]
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On May 4, 2011, Tafoya was announced as the new sideline reporter forNBC Sunday Night Football, replacingAndrea Kremer and rejoining former co-worker and announcerAl Michaels.[15] Tafoya has also coveredswimming during theSummer Olympics forNBC.
Andrew Marchand of theNew York Post reported that Tafoya would leaveSunday Night Football following the2021 season.[16] On January 11, 2022, NBC confirmed in a press release that Tafoya would depart the network, withSuper Bowl LVI as her final assignment, to pursue other opportunities.[17]
On February 14, 2022, a day after her departure from NBC Sports,Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls announced Tafoya would be joining his campaign as co-chair.[18] Qualls later withdrew from the race.
Tafoya had three pregnancies of four children end inmiscarriage before carrying her son to term.[19] She and her husband, Mark Vandersall, have a biological son and daughter by adoption.[19][10] The family lives inEdina, Minnesota.[10] In 2007, she told WCCO-TV that she had been struggling with an eating disorder since she was a child.[20]
Tafoya describes herself as a "pro-choice conservative with libertarian leanings".[21]
The 53-year-old California native has called the Twin Cities home for nearly a quarter of a century, ever since a job at KFAN sports radio brought her to the frozen tundra...."Conley" happened because they didn't think Tafoya was going to work well; they thought it was too ethnic. So I used my mom's maiden name.
'I'm a Hispanic and I'm a female and look at how great this is for me.' I say, "'I'm Michele Tafoya. My mom is Wilma, My dad was Orlando. I have a brother and three sisters.
...worked as a WNBA commentator on Lifetime from 1997-99
I am so regretful, I can't even tell you.
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