Rich Hollenberg has built a storied career in sports broadcasting, working in a variety of roles across the industry. He currently calls Big 12 college basketball games for ESPN, hosts the Tampa Bay Rays’ pregame and postgame shows and runs his own broadcasting class called Break in and Break Through (BIBT).
Hollenberg’s love for being behind the microphone started when he was 10, as a master of ceremonies for his sister’s Bat Mitzvah.
“My parents said, wouldn’t it be adorable if little Richie was the MC at her party,” Hollenberg said. “I guess they saw something in my personality, how outgoing I was, how not shy I was.”
He then went on to speak in front of at least 100 people and was hooked.
“It was cute and funny,” Hollenberg said. “I remember that feeling and that sensation resonated with me even as a 10-year-old. And I was like, wow, this is not only fun, but I think I might be good at this.”
Growing up in New Jersey, Hollenberg was already a sports fan and his father helped nurture that passion by taking him to Yankees, Knicks and Rangers games. Those early trips left a lasting impression, embedding a love for the game in Hollenberg that would shape his future career in broadcasting.
As time went on, Hollenberg spent every summer at camp, an experience that would eventually plant the seed for where he wanted to go to college.
“One summer, my head counselor was from Syracuse,” Hollenberg said. “Gary Barnaba, who I’m still in touch with to this day, would bring people from Syracuse over to our camp to run clinics just for us, so that’s how I became a Syracuse fan.”
Shortly after, Barnaba discovered Hollenberg had a knack for being behind the mic and mentioned that Bob Costas and Marv Albert, two legendary sports broadcasters, went to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Journalism.
“Those were my two idols,” Hollenberg said. “There was nobody bigger or better than Bob Costas and Marv Albert. So that, as a 13-year-old, that sealed the deal for me.”
To prepare for Syracuse, Hollenberg got involved in several programs at his high school. He started by voicing the morning announcements and quickly became close with his principal, Joe Poli, who encouraged him to take on more opportunities. Hollenberg became sports editor of the school newspaper, served as a PA announcer for Saturday games and even hosted school assemblies. If there was a microphone in the area, Hollenberg would be behind it.
“These things were offered to me because of who I was and the relationships I had with my peers and teachers,” Hollenberg said. “They saw I had that type of personality.”
After high school, Hollenberg attended his top school, Syracuse. After spending his freshman year getting acquainted with the university, he dove back into broadcasting. At the start of his sophomore year, he immediately signed up for WAER (Syracuse’s radio station) and spent his Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays waking up at 5 a.m. and ripping wire stories off the printer and practicing reading them.
“I wasn’t even getting on the air,” Hollenberg said. “After one semester I quit WAER and I looked into the student television and radio stations, and I started working at both of those and really found my groove there.”
He also took classes taught by the late Bob Lissit, who was a major mentor for Hollenberg and longtime CBS producer.
After college, Hollenberg moved back home to New Jersey and coached tennis while applying for jobs. Eventually, he landed a role with the Associated Press in New York City off air. About a year after that, Hollenberg received a call from Lissit, informing him of an on-air reporting job in Montana. He jumped on that opportunity.
“I was clueless, but it was my first real opportunity to get a job in TV because all the jobs that I applied for, I got either rejected from or I never heard back from the stations,” Hollenberg said.
Six months later, Hollenberg received yet another call from his old professor. This time, the job was based out of Tampa, Florida where he has now lived for nearly 30 years.
After that, he started freelancing for ESPN on the weekends, which helped him land a weekday job with the Home Shopping Network (HSN), where he would sell sports memorabilia.
“Initially, I said, no, because I’m a sportscaster,” Hollenberg said. “Then they presented me with an opportunity of traveling with Monday Night Football because they won the NFL marketing contract and they wanted to do a show the hour before every Monday Night Football game from the field.”
Then 9/11 happened, limiting who was able to travel for events and budgets getting slashed.
Hollenberg then had to pivot to hosting a cooking show for the network despite having no prior cooking experience.
“They literally sent me to cooking school,” Hollenberg said. “Wolfgang Puck taught me how to make scrambled eggs.”
The stress levels and long hours took a toll on Hollenberg, so he eventually stepped down after six years with the company. This led to him auditioning to be a host for the Miami Heat pregame and postgame shows. Due to scheduling conflicts between the NBA and college basketball seasons, he turned that down.
Hollenberg made a strong impression on the hiring managers, and a few months later they offered him the Tampa Bay Rays’ pregame and postgame host role, which he accepted.
“I turned one job opportunity that I turned down into a job opportunity that I’ve now had for the last 12 years,” Hollenberg said.
Working for both ESPN and the Rays has meant a lot to Hollenberg. In the 18 years he’s been at ESPN, he has grown tremendously and learned a lot.
“I got hired at ESPN and no one was there to hold my hand and say, ‘here’s what you’re going to do,’” Hollenberg said. “That taught me a lot of lessons. You have to be responsible for yourself first and foremost and you learn on the job. It’s baptism by fire, and the people who don’t, don’t last very long in the business.”
Working for two major networks also gave Hollenberg the platform to start a mentorship program, BIBT. He had been interested in teaching because he was inspired by Lissit, and after being stuck at home during COVID, he officially launched the program. The goal of the program is to help passionate aspiring broadcasters, reporters, hosts, etc. break in or through the industry and build community.
Now four years and over 200 members later, the program is running strong.
“It’s become my legacy. No one’s going to remember a single game that I call or a single team that I cover,” Hollenberg said. “But I think when it’s all said and done, if we can keep growing this community, and if my mindset remains the same, which is get comfortable being uncomfortable and always keep growing and learning, then Break in and Break Through is going to be my legacy.”