University of Tennessee Athletics Director of Broadcasting and Voice of the Vols Bob Kesling was named the 2024 Sportscaster of the Year in the state of Tennessee by the National Sports Media Association (NSMA) in an announcement on Wednesday, January 7. This is Kesling’s fifth Sportscaster of the Year honor for the state of Tennessee during his career.
Kesling, the Voice of the Vols who is heard on Star 95.1 WCDZ-FM, announced on November 7 that he would retire following the 2024-25 men’s basketball season in April. He has served as the Voice of the Vols for 26 seasons and a 50-year career association with the Vol Network. This past summer, Kesling was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.
Begun in 1959, the National Sports Media Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which seeks to develop educational opportunities for those who are interested in pursuing a career in sports media, through networking, interning, mentoring, and scholarship programs.
The NSMA also honors, preserves and celebrates the diverse legacy of sports media in the United States.
Thunderbolt Radio President Paul Tinkle, who nominated Kesling for induction into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame, said “Bob is one of my dear friends, he’s been in my home, he’s been in our radio stations, and we had our best visit when we just sat around and talked of everything that was not sports.”
Tinkle went on to say, “Bob Kesling is, way over the top, not only as a broadcaster but helping young men find their place…He is truly a gentleman and a darn good broadcaster and interviewer, I’m proud to call him a friend along with millions of listeners who tune him in as part of the Vol Network family.”
Hall of Fame, national and state award winners are scheduled to be presented during the NSMA’s 65th Awards Weekend & National Convention, June 28-30, 2025, at the Grandover Resort & Spa in Greensboro, N.C.
