Michelle Smallmon has spent years building a career that blends sports knowledge, broadcasting experience, and a relaxed on-air personality. Today, many listeners recognize her as one of the voices of ESPN Radio’s morning show UnSportsmanLike, where she works alongside Evan Cohen and Chris Canty. Her rise to national radio, however, didn’t happen overnight.
Before becoming a familiar ESPN personality, Smallmon worked behind the scenes as a producer, developed her voice in St. Louis sports radio, and gained experience across several areas of broadcasting. Along the way, she became known for her ability to discuss sports in a way that feels informed without becoming overly formal.
One question readers often search for is Michelle Smallmon Age. She is widely reported to have been born on August 13, 1986, which would make her 40 years old as of September 2026. While her age attracts plenty of interest online, her career story offers much more to explore.
Michelle Smallmon Quick Bio Information
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Michelle Smallmon |
| Reported Date Of Birth | August 13, 1986 |
| Reported Age | 40 Years Old As Of September 2026 |
| Birthplace | Belleville, Illinois, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Sports Radio Host, Broadcaster And Producer |
| Known For | ESPN Radio’s UnSportsmanLike |
| High School | Althoff Catholic High School |
| High School Graduation | 2004 |
| College | University Of Illinois |
| College Graduation | 2008 |
| Degree | Broadcast Journalism |
| Early Sports Background | Soccer |
| Former Station | 101 ESPN St. Louis |
| Former Show | Karraker & Smallmon |
| ESPN Return | 2022 As A National Radio Host |
| Current ESPN Program | UnSportsmanLike |
| Co-Hosts | Evan Cohen And Chris Canty |
| Current Show Time | Weekdays, 6–10 A.M. ET |
How Old Is Michelle Smallmon?
Michelle Smallmon is widely reported to be 40 years old as of September 2026. Her commonly cited date of birth is August 13, 1986, meaning she celebrated her 40th birthday in August 2026.
Older profiles sometimes list her as 38 or 39 years old, but those figures usually reflect the date when those articles were published. Because age changes every year, older celebrity biographies can quickly become outdated.
It’s also worth noting that ESPN’s official professional biography focuses on Smallmon’s work rather than her personal details and does not emphasize her date of birth. For that reason, the August 13, 1986 birth date is best described as widely reported rather than directly confirmed by the network.
Still, when readers search for Michelle Smallmon Age, the most current answer for 2026 is 40.
Smallmon’s biography becomes more interesting when these basic facts are placed in context. Her career stretches from local St. Louis radio to national ESPN programming, and much of that progress came from years spent learning how sports shows are produced as well as presented.
Where Was Michelle Smallmon Born And Raised?
Michelle Smallmon is closely associated with Belleville, Illinois, a city in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. Growing up near St. Louis placed her in a region where professional sports are deeply woven into local culture.
Her background in the area later became closely connected with her work in sports media. Before she was discussing games and athletes for a living, she was already familiar with the passionate sports environment surrounding St. Louis.
Smallmon attended Althoff Catholic High School, where she graduated in 2004. The school has publicly recognized her as an alumna who went on to work as a radio broadcaster and producer.
That local connection remained important throughout her career. Even after gaining experience in national broadcasting, Smallmon returned to St. Louis and became one of the recognizable voices of 101 ESPN.
Michelle Smallmon’s Early Love Of Sports
Sports were part of Smallmon’s life well before she entered broadcasting. Accounts of her childhood describe regular trips to St. Louis Cardinals games with her father, experiences that helped build her early interest in sports.
Her athletic background also deserves some clarification. Some online biographies have claimed that Smallmon played college volleyball, but stronger alumni reporting identifies her primarily as a soccer player during her high school years.
She was described as a Belleville Althoff soccer standout and a four-year varsity player. That history gives useful context to her later career because she wasn’t entering sports media as someone completely removed from athletic competition.
Her early connection with sports seems to have come from several directions: family, local fan culture, and her own time as an athlete. Together, those experiences likely helped make sports broadcasting feel like a natural professional path once she moved toward journalism.
Where Did Michelle Smallmon Go To College?
After graduating from Althoff Catholic High School in 2004, Smallmon enrolled at the University Of Illinois. She later earned a degree in broadcast journalism, graduating in 2008.
Her path toward journalism wasn’t necessarily decided from the beginning. Alumni reporting has noted that Smallmon initially considered a different professional direction before recognizing that broadcasting and journalism were a better fit for her interests.
That change proved important. A broadcast journalism education gave her a foundation in reporting, production, storytelling, and media communication, all of which became useful during the early stages of her career.
Rather than moving directly into a high-profile on-air position, Smallmon spent considerable time learning how radio programs work from behind the scenes. That experience would later become one of the defining strengths of her professional background.
How Michelle Smallmon Started In Sports Radio
Smallmon’s broadcasting career stands out because much of her early work happened away from the spotlight. She developed experience through production, where the demands of live radio go far beyond simply speaking into a microphone.
She joined 101 ESPN in St. Louis early in her career and worked on several of the station’s major programs. Her responsibilities included production work as well as on-air contributions.
Working as a producer meant learning how to organize a show, prepare stories, manage timing, coordinate guests, shape discussions, and respond quickly when live radio changed direction.
That kind of experience gave Smallmon a detailed understanding of what makes a sports program work. By the time she began taking on larger on-air responsibilities, she already knew the structure behind the conversation.
Her career therefore developed gradually rather than through a sudden jump into national media.
Her Move To National ESPN Radio
Smallmon eventually expanded her experience beyond St. Louis and worked with ESPN Radio on a national level. During that stage of her career, she gained experience producing national programming and working around established sports-media personalities.
Her production background included programs associated with broadcasters such as Ryen Russillo, Danny Kanell, and Jorge Sedano.
ESPN also featured Smallmon in 2017 as part of a piece highlighting women working within the company. At that time, she was recognized for her work as an ESPN Radio producer.
This stage of her career proved important because national sports radio operates on a different scale from local programming. The audience is broader, the topics move faster, and the discussion often has to appeal to listeners across the country rather than fans of one market.
Smallmon’s time in national production helped deepen her experience before she eventually made the transition toward a larger on-air role.
Karraker & Smallmon Became A Career Milestone
When Smallmon returned to St. Louis, she moved more fully into hosting and eventually reached one of the most important milestones of her local-radio career.
From May 2020 through September 2022, she co-hosted Karraker & Smallmon on 101 ESPN alongside Randy Karraker.
According to ESPN’s professional biography, the role made Smallmon the first woman to have her name included in the title of a show in the station’s history.
That achievement carried more significance than a simple change in job title. By that point, she had spent years producing programs, contributing on air, and learning the mechanics of sports radio. Having her name attached to a major show reflected the progress she had made from behind-the-scenes producer to established broadcaster.
The program also allowed her to work in a market she understood well. Her connection with St. Louis sports made the show a natural fit during an important stage of her career.
Michelle Smallmon’s Return To ESPN
In 2022, Smallmon returned to national ESPN Radio, this time with a larger focus on hosting rather than production.
Her role initially included weekend programming, but her responsibilities continued to expand. In September 2023, ESPN launched UnSportsmanLike, bringing together Smallmon, Evan Cohen, and former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty.
The trio offered different perspectives. Canty brought experience as a professional athlete, Cohen arrived with years of radio work, and Smallmon contributed a combination of local sports knowledge, national production experience, and on-air hosting.
That mix helped shape the identity of the morning program.
For Smallmon, the show represented another major step forward. She had moved from producing national sports radio to becoming one of the people leading the conversation.
Where Is Michelle Smallmon In 2026?
As of 2026, Michelle Smallmon remains a co-host of ESPN Radio’s UnSportsmanLike alongside Evan Cohen and Chris Canty.
The program airs on weekday mornings from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Eastern Time, according to ESPN’s current programming information. Portions of the show are also available across ESPN’s broader media platforms.
Smallmon has continued to appear as part of ESPN’s coverage around major sports events. Her presence during the network’s 2026 NFL Draft programming further confirms that she remains active in ESPN’s national radio lineup.
That matters because older biographies sometimes describe a role as “current” long after someone has moved on. In Smallmon’s case, official 2026 ESPN information still places her with UnSportsmanLike.
Her current position reflects how far her career has developed since her early production days in St. Louis.
What Makes Michelle Smallmon’s Broadcasting Career Different?
One of the most notable parts of Smallmon’s career is the variety of experience she has accumulated.
She hasn’t worked only as a radio host. Her background includes production, local sports broadcasting, national programming, live-event hosting, and video content.
ESPN has noted that Smallmon previously served as an in-game host for the St. Louis Battlehawks. She has also worked on video content connected with St. Louis City SC.
That range gives her a broader understanding of sports media than someone whose career has been limited to a single format.
Her years as a producer are especially significant. Producers have to think about the entire program rather than only their own comments. They manage pacing, topics, transitions, interviews, breaking news, and the overall direction of a broadcast.
Those skills can translate naturally to hosting, where timing and awareness often matter just as much as sports knowledge.
Michelle Smallmon’s Connection To Running And Charity
Smallmon’s public life has also included charitable and community involvement.
A feature in Terrain Magazine discussed her goal of completing 50 half-marathons in 50 states while supporting charitable causes. She connected the project partly to losing a high-school friend to cancer and to a broader interest in health, travel, and giving back.
At the time of that profile, Smallmon had completed races in 19 states and had used some of those events to raise money for different causes.
Her community involvement hasn’t been limited to running. ESPN has also noted her association with The Young Professionals for the St. Louis Zoo and The Little Bit Foundation.
The Little Bit Foundation works to reduce barriers that can affect students and their ability to learn.
These activities reveal another side of Smallmon’s public profile beyond sports radio and ESPN.
Is Michelle Smallmon Married?
Questions about Michelle Smallmon Age often lead readers to search for information about her husband, spouse, or dating life.
This is an area where online biographies frequently make claims without strong evidence.
Reliable professional sources, including ESPN’s official profile, don’t publicly identify Smallmon as having a husband or spouse. Her professional biography also doesn’t discuss her romantic relationships.
For that reason, it would be inaccurate to state with certainty that she is married, unmarried, or currently dating someone unless she has confirmed that information publicly.
The most responsible description is that her current relationship status isn’t publicly established through reliable professional sources.
Smallmon has kept the focus of her public profile largely on sports, broadcasting, and professional work rather than her private relationships.
Was Michelle Smallmon On The Bachelorette?
Michelle Smallmon has sometimes been connected online with searches for The Bachelorette, but there’s no credible evidence that she competed as a contestant on ABC’s reality dating series.
The confusion appears to come from a lighthearted sports-radio segment associated with UnSportsmanLike rather than an actual appearance on the television franchise.
This distinction is important because short social-media clips and headlines can easily lose context.
Smallmon’s public career has centered on sports broadcasting, radio production, live hosting, and ESPN programming. Reality television has not been a meaningful part of her professional background.
Final Thoughts On Michelle Smallmon Age And Career
Michelle Smallmon is widely reported to have been born on August 13, 1986, making her 40 years old as of September 2026.
That answers the main question behind searches for Michelle Smallmon Age, but her professional journey is arguably the more interesting part of her biography.
After graduating from the University Of Illinois in 2008 with a broadcast journalism degree, Smallmon built experience in St. Louis sports radio before moving into national ESPN production. She later returned to St. Louis, became a prominent on-air host, made station history with Karraker & Smallmon, and eventually returned to ESPN Radio on a national level.
Today, she continues to co-host UnSportsmanLike with Evan Cohen and Chris Canty.
Her career is a reminder that successful broadcasters aren’t always created through instant visibility. Smallmon spent years learning production, understanding audiences, covering sports, and developing confidence before reaching a national platform.
That combination of patience and experience has become an important part of her story.
FAQs About Michelle Smallmon
How Old Is Michelle Smallmon In 2026?
Michelle Smallmon is widely reported to be 40 years old in 2026. Her commonly cited birth date is August 13, 1986, meaning she turned 40 in August 2026. ESPN’s professional biography does not prominently list her date of birth, so the age is best described as widely reported rather than officially confirmed by the network.
When Is Michelle Smallmon’s Birthday?
Michelle Smallmon’s birthday is widely reported as August 13. Her reported birth year is 1986. Because older articles were written before her most recent birthday, readers may still find profiles listing her as 38 or 39 years old.
Where Is Michelle Smallmon From?
Smallmon is associated with Belleville, Illinois, part of the greater St. Louis region. She attended Althoff Catholic High School and later built a significant part of her broadcasting career in St. Louis sports radio.
Where Did Michelle Smallmon Go To College?
Michelle Smallmon attended the University Of Illinois, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism and graduated in 2008. Her education helped provide the foundation for a career that later included radio production, hosting, live sports coverage, and national ESPN programming.
Does Michelle Smallmon Still Work For ESPN?
Yes. As of 2026, Smallmon continues to co-host ESPN Radio’s UnSportsmanLike with Evan Cohen and Chris Canty. The program airs on weekday mornings from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Eastern Time.
What Sports Did Michelle Smallmon Play?
Reliable alumni profiles identify Smallmon as having played soccer at Althoff Catholic High School. Some online biographies have linked her to college volleyball, but stronger reporting supports soccer as part of her documented athletic background.
Is Michelle Smallmon Married?
Reliable professional sources do not publicly identify a husband or spouse for Michelle Smallmon. Because she keeps much of her private life away from her professional profile, it’s more accurate to say that her current relationship status has not been publicly established through authoritative sources.
What Is Michelle Smallmon Best Known For?
Michelle Smallmon is best known nationally as a sports-radio host on ESPN Radio’s UnSportsmanLike. Before joining the national morning program, she built her reputation in St. Louis and became the first woman to have her name on a 101 ESPN show title when she co-hosted Karraker & Smallmon.
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