For her first ESPN assignment, Tafoya will host skiing coverage from Kitzbuhel, Austria, Fri., Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. ET. Her first basketball assignment will be in February.

"Michele brings tremendous experience and sports knowledge," said Drake. "Her versatility is best suited for ESPN, where opportunities to work several different high-level sporting events in different roles are plentiful."

Tafoya joined CBS Sports in November 1994. Since that time, she has worked as a game reporter and studio host for NFL, college football and college basketball games. She has also hosted CBS' NCAA Tournament selection show, Goodwill Games and U.S. Open coverage. In addition, Tafoya co-hosted CBS's late-night Winter Olympics programs in 1998. She has been a WNBA commentator on Lifetime since 1997.

Tafoya was honored with a Gracie Award by the American Women in Radio and Television for "Outstanding Achievement by an Individual On-Air TV Personality" for her WNBA work with Lifetime in 1997.

Prior to joining CBS, Tafoya worked as a host and reporter for KFAN Radio in Minneapolis, primarily for Minnesota Vikings' and University of Minnesota women's basketball broadcasts. She was also play-by-play commentator for the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. She previously worked for WAQS Radio in Charlotte, where her duties included calling UNC-Charlotte men's basketball action, the first female analyst to call UNC-Charlotte men's basketball.

She also worked for the Midwest Sports Channel, serving as a Minnesota Timberwolves host and sideline reporter and as a play-by-play commentator for women's Big Ten basketball and volleyball. Tafoya also spent three years at WCCO-TV (CBS affiliate) in Minneapolis as a sports anchor and reporter.

Tafoya graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in broadcast journalism and she earned her master's in business administration from University of Southern California.