Rob DeMello has a life-long love of local sports and enjoys “being able to relay the accomplishments of the teams and athletes that represent our state,” he says.
Rob has been a sportscaster in Honolulu since 2003 and joined KHON2 in 2010.
The Kailua High School graduate got his first internship at the age of 15 working under current ESPN SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett. He’s been hooked ever since.
Rob is the creator, executive producer, and host of “Cover 2: Hawaii High School Football Weekly,” a show that airs every Thursday at 9 p.m. during football season. The show features prestigious player of the year awards that are recognized nationwide, including the Marcus Mariota Player of the Year Award, chosen by a special Cover2 panel and the Mariota family.
Rob, who also hosts the ‘Bows Football Final podcast during the UH Football season has traveled far and wide to cover Hawaii’s biggest sports stories, such as Manti Te‘o’s 2012 college football national championship game; Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa’s Heisman Trophy ceremonies in New York City, and the Rainbow Warrior basketball team’s historic three-week March Madness run in 2016, and the UH Men’s volleyball team’s first national championship in 2021.
His close relationships with Hawaii athletes have led him to break exclusive stories, such as star prep player Tua Tagovailoa’s commitment to the University of Alabama, along with stories with Max Holloway, Marcus Mariota, and many others that were used nationally.
In addition to his role at KHON2, Rob is a co-host and analyst for University of Hawaii football telecasts on Spectrum Sports Hawaii (OC Sports). He previously worked as an executive producer of “Leahey and Leahey” on AM 1500 from 2006-2009 and PBS Hawaii from 2010-2015.
Rob is humbled to have won National Sports Media Association Hawaii Sportscaster of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2020, and 2022.
But, Rob says, sports can’t top the loves of his life – daughter Emi, sons Cole and Niko, and wife Tina, a producer at KHON2.
