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Bob Kesling retiring

Gravey

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Jul 20, 2005
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Some don't like him and it would've been hard for anybody to follow John Ward but kudos to him on his upcoming retirement. Doesn't seem like it's been 25 years.
 
I'm probably in the minority, but I like Bob and I think he does a great job. I met him recently at an event and he was the nicest guy-spoke with in a very personable manner about some things. I told him my favorite Bob Kesling moment - some guy called the Vol Calls show and was asking questions about Florida - Bob cut him off mid-sentence and said, "Hey buddy, call the Florida show and ask them, this the Tennessee Vols show" and hung up. He remembered that and we both had a good laugh. I have no skin in the game, that's the only time I ever met him, I just always thought he did a good job and represented himself well. I wish him the best in retirement.
 
Bob seems like a great guy and 25 years is a hell of a run following John Ward.
I actually really like him & Bert doing basketball games I think that was his sweet spot. Just like Wilkerson on baseball calls it seemed he was way more in his element but I digress. Be interesting to see who they go after.
 
Good replacement list.

Here are five candidates to be the next "Voice of the Vols:"

Mike Keith has been the play-by-play announcer for the Tennessee Titans since 1999. He has worked for the franchise since it moved to Nashville in 1997. Keith, a UT graduate who idolized Ward growing up in Chattanooga, has won the Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year Award 12 times. Keith started his career at Tennessee working alongside Ward with the Vol Radio Network. He hosted daily sports talk shows in Knoxville for a decade and covered the Vols for WBIR.

John Wilkerson is the longtime voice of Tennessee baseball of the Vol Network. His game-ending baseball call of "Hello, Win Column!" is widely adored by Tennessee fans. The baseball play-by-play commentator also co-hosts the morning radio show SportsTalk on WNML. Wilkerson, a Knoxville native and a 1988 Tennessee graduate, also handles in-studio anchoring for Tennessee football and men's basketball.

Roger Hoover, a UT grad, works in a full-time role for Alabama's Crimson Tide Sports Network. He hosts the football broadcast and calls play by play for basketball and baseball. Hoover has extensive experience across a variety of sports as a play-by-play broadcaster on SEC Network+ and ACC Network Extra. He spent 12 seasons broadcasting professional baseball, including five years doing the Miami Marlins spring training broadcasts. He was named the 2018 Southern League Radio Broadcaster of the Year while working with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

Neil Price is the "Voice of the Bulldogs" at Mississippi State, where he is the general manager of WMSV radio. He has been the radio play-by-play announcer for MSU football and men's basketball since 2017. He served as the radio broadcaster for women's basketball and baseball at Kentucky, as well as being the network manager for the University of Kentucky Sports Network from 2005-17. He was the broadcast coordinator at Middle Tennessee State from 2002-05.
Darren Headrick is on the broadcast team at Kentucky. The UT graduate is the play-by-play announcer for Kentucky women's basketball and baseball, while hosting weekly coaches shows. Headrick's career includes more than a decade spent in college and professional sports. He worked as the TV and radio play-by-play announcer for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders prior to being hired at UK. He was named a Baseball America Best MLB Broadcaster Prospect honoree in 2015. He also was the play-by-play announcer for East Carolina baseball from 2012-14.
 
Good replacement list.

Here are five candidates to be the next "Voice of the Vols:"

Mike Keith has been the play-by-play announcer for the Tennessee Titans since 1999. He has worked for the franchise since it moved to Nashville in 1997. Keith, a UT graduate who idolized Ward growing up in Chattanooga, has won the Tennessee Sportscaster of the Year Award 12 times. Keith started his career at Tennessee working alongside Ward with the Vol Radio Network. He hosted daily sports talk shows in Knoxville for a decade and covered the Vols for WBIR.

John Wilkerson is the longtime voice of Tennessee baseball of the Vol Network. His game-ending baseball call of "Hello, Win Column!" is widely adored by Tennessee fans. The baseball play-by-play commentator also co-hosts the morning radio show SportsTalk on WNML. Wilkerson, a Knoxville native and a 1988 Tennessee graduate, also handles in-studio anchoring for Tennessee football and men's basketball.

Roger Hoover, a UT grad, works in a full-time role for Alabama's Crimson Tide Sports Network. He hosts the football broadcast and calls play by play for basketball and baseball. Hoover has extensive experience across a variety of sports as a play-by-play broadcaster on SEC Network+ and ACC Network Extra. He spent 12 seasons broadcasting professional baseball, including five years doing the Miami Marlins spring training broadcasts. He was named the 2018 Southern League Radio Broadcaster of the Year while working with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

Neil Price is the "Voice of the Bulldogs" at Mississippi State, where he is the general manager of WMSV radio. He has been the radio play-by-play announcer for MSU football and men's basketball since 2017. He served as the radio broadcaster for women's basketball and baseball at Kentucky, as well as being the network manager for the University of Kentucky Sports Network from 2005-17. He was the broadcast coordinator at Middle Tennessee State from 2002-05.
Darren Headrick is on the broadcast team at Kentucky. The UT graduate is the play-by-play announcer for Kentucky women's basketball and baseball, while hosting weekly coaches shows. Headrick's career includes more than a decade spent in college and professional sports. He worked as the TV and radio play-by-play announcer for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders prior to being hired at UK. He was named a Baseball America Best MLB Broadcaster Prospect honoree in 2015. He also was the play-by-play announcer for East Carolina baseball from 2012-14.
I'd take Keith in a heartbeat.
 
Bob seems like a great guy and 25 years is a hell of a run following John Ward.
I actually really like him & Bert doing basketball games I think that was his sweet spot. Just like Wilkerson on baseball calls it seemed he was way more in his element but I digress. Be interesting to see who they go after.

Basketball is his best.

I can't listen to him doing a football game. I'm too much of "make me feel like I'm watching" type fan. Too many times the down and distance don't jive. He'll make a 1st down call, "... off tackle for a gain of 7" and then immediately "It's 2nd down and 6" :oops:. Drove me crazy.

But, he is a great guy and is All Vol. I remember when he was the sports anchor for channel 10. I think he came from Ohio originally.
 
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