Voice of the Vols Bob Kesling announces retirement: 6 options to replace the legendary announcer
Feels like 98? 26 years ago, in the summer of 1998, Tennessee Vols play-by-play announcer John Ward announced that he would be retiring after the 98 season. And Tennessee sent him out in the best way possible — with a national championship. Could history be repeating itself in 2024? On Thursday, the University of Tennessee […]
Feels like 98?
26 years ago, in the summer of 1998, Tennessee Vols play-by-play announcer John Ward announced that he would be retiring after the 98 season.
And Tennessee sent him out in the best way possible — with a national championship.
Could history be repeating itself in 2024?
On Thursday, the University of Tennessee announced that Bob Kesling, the Voice of the Vols for the last 25 years, will be retiring after the 2024-25 college basketball season. That means that the 2024 football season will be his last season as the voice of Tennessee football.
And I bet the Vols would love to send Kesling out with a national championship.
“Bob's influence has been remarkable, touching so many lives as the Voice of the Vols and through his heartfelt dedication as a mentor and leader in our Knoxville community for over 50 years,” said Tennessee athletic director Danny White in a statement. “He embodies the true spirit of someone who has given his all for Tennessee. As an icon in the broadcasting industry, we are deeply appreciative of the professionalism he brings to Tennessee Athletics each time he takes the microphone. His contributions resonate with all of us here on Rocky Top and we cannot thank him enough for everything he has done.”
White and his team at Tennessee will be tasked with finding a replacement for Kesling. While it wouldn't be a surprise to see White go outside the box with this hire, there are a few notable names that could make a lot of sense to replace Kesling.
6 options to replace Bob Kesling as the Voice of the Vols
1. Mike Keith — Voice of the Titans: This one is obvious, right? Mike Keith graduated from Tennessee and he worked with legendary Vols announcer John Ward for a dozen years at UT before heading west to become the Voice of the Titans.
“From 1986 through 1998, I got a master’s class, a doctorate, whatever you want to call it, from one of the very best broadcasters I’ve ever seen or heard anywhere,” said Keith of Ward in 2018. “I’d put him up against anybody.”
Keith would be an insanely popular hire for the Vols. And he already has experience with Tennessee color analyst Pat Ryan (Ryan worked for Titans radio from 1999 to 2004 and he was on the Music City Miracle call with Keith in 1999).
The big question, of course, is whether or not Keith would leave a great job in the NFL with the Titans for a college radio job. The role would include more than just calling games for Tennessee. But White and his team would still probably have to get creative to create a situation that would be "worth it" for Keith.
2. John Wilkerson — Voice of Tennessee baseball: John Wilkerson, who also graduated from Tennessee, is already the voice of Vols baseball for the Vol Network, so this would be a seamless transition. Wilkerson brings energy to each broadcast and fans are already familiar with his voice/style.
3. Roger Hoover — Play by play/host Crimson Tide Sports Network: Like the above names on this list, Roger Hoover is a Tennessee graduate who has experience with the Vol Network. Hoover currently works for the Crimson Tide Sports Network, where he handles some play-by-play duties (baseball and basketball) as well as pre-game and post-game hosting duties. The talented broadcaster also has experience calling football, softball, volleyball, gymnastics, and soccer. He'd be a natural fit to replace Kesling, though he probably won't be at the top of the wish list (Mike Keith has that spot wrapped up).
4. Stan Cotton — Voice of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Keeping with the theme, Stan Cotton is also a Tennessee graduate. Cotton has been the voice of the Demon Deacons for nearly 30 years. He was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Hall of Fame in 2020. Cotton can also point to John Ward as a mentor.
Cotton has been in Winston Salem since 1996, so I'm not sure he would want to relocate at this point in his career. But the job at Tennessee might be the one gig he'd consider leaving Wake Forest for. Cotton is in his mid-60's, so that's also something that has to be considered, depending on whether or not White prefers to hire a younger option.
5. Neil Price — Voice of the Mississippi State Bulldogs: Unlike the others on this list, Price didn't graduate from Tennessee, but he grew up in East Tennessee (Morristown), so there's a connection to the area. Price has been the Voice of the Bulldogs in Starkville since 2017.
Price does a great job on the mic and he has that ideal radio voice that can be incredibly hard to find.
6. Marc Daniels — Voice of UCF: We had to put a wild card option on here (you never know with Danny White). Daniels is a legend in Orlando. The longtime broadcaster was inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame in 2023. Daniels obviously knows White and Vols head coach Josh Heupel well, so there would be some continuity (though that's not all that important in this role).
Daniels has been in Orlando since 1989. And he's called every UCF game since 1995. I don't know if he'd leave, but I would bet that he'll at least be on White's list.
