Rebels sideline reporter dies suddenly
Sandroni, 64, was in 26th year with Ole Miss
Stan Sandroni, the colorful radio broadcaster involved with Ole Miss sports for nearly three decades, died Wednesday night of a heart attack at age 64.
The news was confirmed Thursday morning on the Twitter feed of David Kellum, the main playby-play broadcaster for Ole Miss: “The @OleMissNetwork has lost our sidelines man, Stan Sandroni. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. We are heartbroken.”
Sandroni was just beginning his 26th season — the Rebels (2-0) played their first two games on the road and the Ole Miss home opener is Saturday vs. Louisiana-Lafayette. From his spot on the sideline, Sandroni provided observations and, at times, commentary. He did not hide his deep affection for the Rebels and also hosted the postgame “Locker Room Show.”
For 21 years, Sandroni was co-host of the radio show “Rebel Yell Hotline” and was a multiple winner of the Mississippi Sportscaster of the Year award. He had previously worked 17 years as the play-by-play voice for Delta State.
He is survived by a wife, Glenda, and son, Christopher, who is a student at Oxford High School.
The Ole Miss radio network will have a silent microphone on the sidelines for Saturday’s game against LouisianaLafayette.
A press release from Ole Miss included this quote from retired Ole Miss sports information director Langston Rogers, a close friend of Sandroni’s: “Stan touched so many lives through sports and through his professional career in both radio and television. Everybody loved Stan and just being around him made you feel good. He loved what he did and it was always evident just how much he cared about the athletes, coaches and fans of Ole Miss and Delta State. We are saddened by this sudden loss and our thoughts and prayers go out to Glenda and Christopher and their extended family.”
One typical example of the outpouring on social media from Rebel fans came from Jameson Steward: “Grew up my whole life hearing him on the radio with yall.”
Arrangements are pending for a Sunday night visitation, with services scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday at St. John the Eva ngelist Cat holic Church in Oxford.
Chuck Rounsaville of the Ole Miss Spirit, his Rebel Yell Hotline partner, shared this story in an online post Thursday: “I used to tease him about always running to get behind the goalposts on every field goal try. Me: ‘Stan, the refs are going to tell you if the kick is good or not.’ Stan: ‘They don’t always get it right.’ Point taken.”
Rounsaville’s post featured a picture of Sandroni with Jack Cristil, a Memphis native and the longtime “Voice of the Bulldogs” for Mississippi State, who died earlier in the week. Services for Cristil were held on Wednesday.