Longtime UNC Charlotte athletics administrator dies after battle with cancer

Longtime Charlotte Athletics administrator Tom Whitestone passed away Tuesday after a battle with cancer, the university announced Wednesday.

Whitestone served as the sports information director and associate athletic director for media relations. Joining the 49ers in 1987, he spent 37 years telling the stories of the athletic department before retiring in 2024.

In 2020, Charlotte’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee honored Whitestone with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was also the man behind Charlotte’s Hall of Fame, where the school’s all-time greats could be recognized in one place. The university said nearly every inductee acknowledged his contributions in their acceptance speeches.

Earlier this month, Whitestone was informed that he would be inducted into the Charlotte Athletics Hall of Fame during the 2026-27 basketball season.

Whitestone leaves behind his wife, Kim, and children, Sam and Allie.