Matthew Calamari joined Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics as their Director of Creative and Digital Media in the Fall of 2025.
Calamari came to Hickory after spending time working as an intern with the South Carolina Athletics Department. While in Columbia, Calamari was a Social Content+ Intern with Gamecock Sports Properties and LEARFIELD, where he first developed his passion for Creative Media in Athletics through shooting for the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams, as well as their Baseball team.
In addition to his time at South Carolina, Calamari helped create high quality photo and video content for UNC Asheville Basketball, helping increase the content quality and Social Content workflow for the Bulldogs.
Outside of his work in athletics, Matthew spent his summers working at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys in Black Mountain, N.C., where he developed a love for serving kids at summer camp. He spent his final summer at Ridgecrest as the Recruiting Specialist and Program Director, where he recruited and led 120+ summer staff and coordinated all programmed activities for over 400+ campers at a time.
Originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, he graduated in 2023 from the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications with a minor in Sport and Entertainment Management with a concentration in Sports Media.
Calamari is happily married to his wife, Abbie, and they live in Charlotte, N.C., where they love to explore the city, attend fun events and concerts, try new restaurants, and more. Â
