‘I didn’t think the timing would work out’ – Mike Keith on calling his first Tennessee game as the ‘Voice of the Vols’
Between Nico Iamaleava’s surprising transfer to UCLA and Boo Carter’s absence from key team activities, it was a drama-filled offseason for Tennessee Vols fans. One bright spot for Tennessee fans, however, was the hiring of Mike Keith to replace Bob Kesling as the new Voice of the Vols. Keith, a Tennessee graduate who previously served […]
Between Nico Iamaleava’s surprising transfer to UCLA and Boo Carter’s absence from key team activities, it was a drama-filled offseason for Tennessee Vols fans.
One bright spot for Tennessee fans, however, was the hiring of Mike Keith to replace Bob Kesling as the new Voice of the Vols.
Keith, a Tennessee graduate who previously served as the Voice of the Titans, is one of the top play-by-play announcers in football. Vols fans had long dreamed of bringing Keith back to Rocky Top to sit in the late John Ward’s seat — but few ever thought it would actually happen.
On Monday, just two days after calling his first game as the new Voice of the Vols, Keith joined 104.5 The Zone’s 3HL and he revealed that never thought that he’d have the chance to take over as Tennessee’s play-by-play announcer.
“Surreal, I think that’s the best way to describe it,” said Keith of calling Tennessee’s season-opening win against Syracuse. “It was not something I ever expected to have the chance to do. I didn’t expect that they would ever ask me. I didn’t think the timing would work out that we could make a move as monumental as this one was for us. We were so established there (with the Titans) as a family and with everything — growing up in Franklin, being from Franklin — so it really didn’t start to hit fully until Saturday morning. And then, as it got closer to kick off, and when the Pride of the Southland Band came out on the field, it was really a unique feeling.
“And the number one sense that I had was just gratitude — that that could actually happen to me and for me in that way. We’re just very thankful to get the shot, and hopefully we gave it our all and we had a little fun, and we’ll come back and do it again this week.”
Kesling, who retired as the Voice of the Vols in April, did a tremendous job as Tennessee’s play-by-play announcer for the last two plus decades. Keith, though, brings an energy to the broadcast that’s been missing since Ward retired in 1999.
Next up for the Vols is a matchup against East Tennessee State on Saturday in Neyland Stadium. Keith will make his home debut as the Voice of the Vols at 3:30 PM ET.
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