For nearly two decades Tom Rinaldi has handled some of ESPN’s biggest interviews and feature stories, having joined the network in 2002 from CNN/SI. However, he will reportedly be departing ESPN for Fox Sports in the near future, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
Tom Rinaldi, one of ESPN’s top on-air reporters, is leaving for Fox, where he is expected to be featured across all of its major events from the Super Bowl to the World Series to the World Cup and college football, according to sources.
Rinaldi’s probably best known for his feature stories on College Gameday, as well as his golf coverage — Marchand notes he got the first sitdown interview with Tiger Woods following his infamous car crash in 2010 — and will apparently spread his wings at Fox to their biggest events, adding the NFL, MLB, and soccer to his repertoire.
The legendary reporter is maybe best known for his incredible ability to get interview subjects emotional, as tears are a regular reaction to watching a Rinaldi interview, but he is just generally a spectacular reporter and interviewer. Per Marchand, Rinaldi’s departure is not part of ESPN’s recent layoffs but a move he’s making on his own, and Fox Sports is certainly getting one of the biggest names in the reporting business to add to their big event coverage.