LEXINGTON, Ky. – The longer the University of Tennessee stays alive in the NCAA tournament, the longer Bob Kesling’s career continues.
The legendary voice of the Tennessee Volunteers will retire after the program’s season ends. For over 25 years, Kesling has been broadcasting football and basketball games for his alma mater on radio and television. He announced his retirement in November and will be succeeded by Mike Keith, the former Tennessee Titans broadcaster.
The No.2-seeded Volunteers (28-7) will face No.7 UCLA (23-10) at Rupp Arena on Saturday night in the second round of the tournament. We recently caught up with Kesling to talk about his career, his retirement plans, and a memorable meeting with a fan.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: Why are you retiring?
Bob Kesling: “I’ve got five grandkids. Well, I got one coming in April. I’ve been doing games and traveling on the weekends since 1974. I was in a hotel at College Station, and I’m thinking, ‘My two grandkids are playing basketball right now and I’m sitting here getting ready to do a Tennessee-Texas A&M game.’ So, it’s probably time.”
What is it like knowing that your next broadcast might be your last?
“I haven’t really thought about it. Now, it’s going to hit me when the last game comes, whether it’s tomorrow or in San Antonio (at the Final Four). That’ll be different. You’re going to miss the games. When you sit down and put the headset on, that’s when it’s fun. It’s all the travel and the other stuff that wears on you. I’ve enjoyed it because I’ve done this for 26 years. And then for 10 years before that, I was doing TV games for Jefferson Pilot. I’ve been doing SEC basketball for 36 years. That’s a long run, that’s a good run.”
Did you do women’s basketball for a while, too?
“I started doing Lady Vols basketball in the late 70s. I got paid $15 a game. If it was a road game, I had to pay for my gas out of that $15. I never looked at it as women’s basketball. I looked at it as SEC basketball. I never thought Pat Head would turn into Pat Summitt. In those days, 150 people at Stokely Athletic Center was a good crowd. It was remarkable where she took the program.”
Do you have a favorite moment or game from your career?
“Gosh, that’s always so hard. There have been so many. We had a six-overtime game in football against Arkansas when Casey Clausen hit Jason Witten down the middle. Chris Lofton hit a 3-point shot over Kevin Durant to beat Texas. That was big. You remember the players and you remember the coaches. It’s been delightful to be around Rick Barnes for 10 years. Off the floor, he’s the most fun guy I’ve ever been around. On the floor, he’s the most intense coach I’ve ever been around. It’s all business when he’s on the floor.”
What do you think of Mike Keith as your successor?
“I hired Mike and gave him his first job at Channel 10 back in the day. We used to do a Sunday morning call-in show on TV and radio after football games, so I’ve known Mike for a long time. I’m glad it’s staying in the family. Since ’68, the only person to call Tennessee football has been a Tennessee grad. That’s pretty impressive, right? That’s going to continue. I’m happy for him. He’s a pro. You don’t stay in the NFL for 27 years unless you’re pretty good, so he was the natural choice.”
Do you have specific plans for your retirement?
“I’ve got a buddy that I played high school football with. He went to Navy and is in the College Football Hall of Fame. His name is Chet Moeller. He’s invited me to the Army-Navy game. I’ve never been able to do that. My sister is a Metropolitan Opera singer, Diane Kesling. She says I’m a hillbilly because I haven’t been to Europe. So, we’re going to plan a trip to Normandy. My wife’s got some honey-dos. You know how that goes. I’m going to spend a lot of time watching my grandkids play football and basketball and enjoy it. That’s what I plan to do. And I’m going to learn to play the piano.”
Why the piano?
“My mom was a music teacher. We had a piano in our house, and she gave piano lessons. I was so annoyed because I wanted to watch The Three Stooges or something in the afternoon. It irritated me to hear all this horrible piano playing that she was teaching. But then I thought, ‘I need to learn to play the piano.’ So, I’m going to do that. I’m looking forward to it.”
Have you had a memorable interaction with a fan?
“We were on the Big Orange Caravan, which we go around and talk to everybody, and the coaches go. It was in Kingsport. Somebody said, ‘Hey, there’s a young man who wants to meet you.’ That’s pretty normal. Well, it’s a blind kid. He’s 20 years old. His name’s Ryan Coggins. He said, ‘I’ve always wanted to meet you because you’re my link to Tennessee sports.’ …So I go, ‘Have you ever been to a Tennessee game?’ He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Would you like to go?’ He said, ‘I’d love to go.'”
What was that like for him?
“I got him a media pass (for the game against Kentucky last fall). I got his grandmother and her husband tickets to the game. They brought Ryan, and he sat in the booth with us. He had a headset on. With one ear, he’s listening to the broadcast. He’d never heard the band. He’d never heard the fireworks. He’d never heard the crowd roar. He’d never heard any of that. He was sitting there listening to the game. I’d look up at him every once in a while. He had this big smile on his face. (Afterward,) I said, ‘Ryan, did you enjoy the game?’ ‘Oh, yeah. It was unbelievable, this was the greatest night of my life.’ That’s going to be something that’s going to live with that young man for the rest of his life.”
What did you take from that experience?
“We’re in this business, and we never know who we’re going to touch or how we’re going to touch them or what it means to them or how important Tennessee football and basketball is to these people. I’ve gotten a better appreciation for it from all the people who have reached out to me. I’ve gotten letters. I’ve gotten emails. I’ve gotten calls from people everywhere, and so has Bert Bertelkamp. We’re both going out at the same time. It’s been rewarding.”
