Kesling filled big shoes quite well
Last Wednesday, I found out, like so many others, that Voice of the Vols Bob Kesling was retiring in April, presumably after Tennessee finishes its basketball campaign.
I’m happy for him and, at the same time, selfishly sad that he’s leaving the broadcast booth.
When I started covering Tennessee on as semi-regular basis for a UT specialty magazine called “Rocky Top” back in the early 1990s, Johnny Majors was the head football coach, Doug Dickey was the athletics director, Heath Shuler was the Volunteer quarterback and John Ward was the radio voice for Tennessee football and basketball.
During that time, I started going to UT events and would occasionally bump into Kesling, who was working as a sports anchor for WVLT TV in Knoxville, in addition to sideline reporting for Jefferson-Pilot network. We knew each other well enough to acknowledge each other with a polite head nod and the occasional “howdy do,” but not much more than that.
When Ward retired at the end of the 1998-99 season, Kesling was asked to step into Ward’s big shoes, an unenviable assignment in one respect, an opportunity of a lifetime in another.
That’s when I really got to know Kesling. Bob was more of a professional broadcaster, who, like Ward, was a Tennessee grad. Ward, of course, was a marketer with a law degree who called football as, what he described, a hobby. Ward was tabbed by then-AD Bob Woodruff to take over for retiring broadcaster George Mooney.
Ward and Kesling have very different styles. Don’t misinterpret, I’m not saying one was better than the other; they are just different.
Sure, there was pushback by some Ward fans early on, but as time went by, people settled into Kesling’s delivery and he became a favorite. Now, there are generations of fans who don’t even know or remember who Ward was.
Kesling has been the mouthpiece of Tennessee football and basketball.
And he’s done well.
Kesling was, in my view, more approachable than Ward. That’s not to say that Ward sat on a high horse. Ward was very accommodating to me through the years, as well. I’d see Kesling at Tennessee events across the state. Often, Ward was conspicuously absent at those same types of events.
When Kesling got the job, I called him to do an interview. I found out that Kesling was from Dayton, Ohio and, like me, a big Cincinnati Reds’ fan. Our mutual adoration of all things Redlegs turned a 10-minute call into an hour-long exchange of stories. He shared with me stories about Hall-of-Fame Reds’ broadcaster Marty Brennaman, who retired a few years ago. Brennaman was pals with Kesling.
Brennaman was a bucket-list interview I wanted to do but hadn’t had much luck in landing an audience. In 2011, I was covering a Reds’ event in Cincinnati and saw Brennaman across the room. I approached him and told him we had a mutual friend: Kesling. Brennaman’s face broke out in a big smile. “How’s Bob doing?” he asked. That led to a pretty long conversation, followed by an impromptu interview for my radio show. After that, Brennaman gave me his home phone and cell number and asked me to call him anytime if I wanted him to come on my radio show.
I don’t think I’d have had that opportunity had it not been for Kesling.
When I needed a guest for my radio show, Kesling always answered the bell. Once, we arranged an interview and halfway through the show, we were pre-empted by some event. I called Kesling and apologized. He simply said, “No problem. That happens with live radio.”
Once, I called him to come on my show while he was at his grandkid’s youth league baseball game. I suggested he do play-by-play of the kid’s game with me over the phone. During his grandkid’s at-bat, he described the action as if he were in the Tom Elam press box at Neyland Stadium.
I hate that Kesling was Tennessee’s voice through some of its most barren times, but he never waivered. I’m glad that Tennessee’s fortunes have turned around now that he’s at the end of his tenure.
Kesling held the post almost as long as Ward did. Kesling wasn’t flashy or verbose like Ward was but he was a consummate professional who was joy to listen to every fall. Like Col. Potter told Corporal Klinger on M*A*S*H years ago when Radar left, “don’t try to do Radar’s job; make this Max Klinger’s job.”
That’s what Kesling did and, in the process, provided many great memories and continued the great legacy that comes with being Voice of the Vols.
Jim Steele is a correspondent for Richardson Media Group and may be reached on X @steelesports or via email at pressbox1@gmail.com.
