Mark Lericos has been 40/29's Sports Director since September of 2005.
Talk about learning on the go, Mark's first assignment was covering the Hogs in Los Angeles as they battled No. 1 Southern Cal. He's since settled down in northwest Arkansas, and loves the scenery, and of course, the friendly people.
"I love working in a sports town with passionate fans who care about their team. It makes being a sportscaster much more enjoyable. The Razorbacks have those types of fans," he said.
Mark anchored 40/29's extensive coverage in 2007 as controversy and coaching changes swirled through the University of Arkansas. From the firing of basketball coach Stan Heath, the retirement of Frank Broyles, and breaking the story on air that Houston Nutt would not return as the head football coach. 40/29 Sports has played a critical role in providing the fastest, most accurate coverage during those tumultous times and even now.
Before 40/29, Mark spent four years working at another Hearst-Argyle owned station, WYFF. Located in Greenville, S.C., Mark was an award-winning reporter and anchor, covering anything you can imagine in the world of sports: The Daytona 500, The Masters, The U.S. Open Golf Championship, The College World Series, National League Division Series, The Super Bowl, SEC/ACC basketball, baseball, football; minor league hockey and baseball. Mark has also covered 5 bowl games Tangerine, Peach, Outback, Capital One and Cotton.
Mark says the best part about his job is getting to cover sports for a living and meet famous athletes. Among those athletes/celebrities he has interviewed in his career: Donovan McNabb, Steve Spurrier, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell, Tiger Woods, John Smoltz, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
One of Mark's hobbies is collecting the numerous media credentials he's acquired over the years from the stories and events he's been able to cover. Before WYFF, Mark was a reporter and anchor at KNVN in Chico/Redding, California. This means he can say he's literally worked from coast to coast!
Born in New Jersey, Mark actually grew up in Fort Myers, Florida. He attended college at Troy State University in southern Alabama, where he won Associated Press Awards as both a sports and news anchor. A rabid Dallas Cowboys fan, he's glad to be a bit closer to his 'Boys, this way he can watch the games on local TV! Mark and his wife Tiffanie have a son (Tyler) and a daughter (Anna Rose).
In his spare time Mark enjoys the outdoors, playing sports (obviously), reading, exercising, spending time with his family, and golfing....badly.
