Bob Rondeau

Last updated

Bob Rondeau
Born1949or1950(age 73–74) [1]
Alma mater Colorado (1972)
Occupation Sports announcer
SpouseMolly
ChildrenLorrin, Jordan, Jessie

Bob Rondeau is a retired American sports announcer. He is known for a 37-year career associated with University of Washington athletics.

Contents

Early life

Rondeau grew up in Colorado. He majored in journalism at Colorado, graduating in 1972. [2] [3]

Career

Rondeau began his career as a news reporter and anchor in Cortez, Denver, and then Phoenix. [2] Those experiences left him disillusioned with the news business. [4] His first experience as a sports broadcaster was in the summer of 1977 when he called several races at Turf Paradise, a horse racing track in Phoenix. [4]

Rondeau joined KOMO radio in Seattle as sports director in 1977, after passing on an offer from local competitor KIRO which was looking for a news reporter. [2] [4] The next year, KOMO acquired the broadcast rights for both Washington football and basketball games. Rondeau became an analyst for the Washington Huskies football broadcast in 1978, then play-by-play announcer in 1981. [2] He later became announcer for the men's basketball team, holding that role for over 30 years. [2] For four decades, he was known for bellowing "Touchdown Washington!" after every Husky touchdown. Earlier, he served as the play-by-play announcer for the original Seattle Sounders for two years beginning in 1979, despite having no familiarity with the sport of soccer. [2] [5]

In April 2017, Rondeau announced his retirement effective at the end of the football season. [6] Tony Castricone was named his successor. [7] [8]

Awards

Rondeau was named Washington State Sportscaster of the Year eleven times. [9] In 2016 Rondeau was the recipient of the National Football Foundation's annual Chris Schenkel Award, in recognition of distinguished broadcasting careers in college football. [2] [10] He was inducted into the Husky Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. [11] King County proclaimed Roundeau's last home broadcast of the Apple Cup on November 25, 2017, as "Bob Rondeau Day." [12]

Family

Rondeau and wife Molly married on the 50-yard line of Husky Stadium on July 26, 1997. [12] They have two daughters, Lorrin and Jessie, a son Jordan and three grandsons, Joseph, Dominic and Zachary, [13]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "'Voice of Huskies' Bob Rondeau to retire after football season". April 20, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Bob Rondeau preps for final ride in radio booth as Voice of the Huskies". September 15, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Voices of the Game - UW broadcaster Bob Rondeau found his calling in sports". July 28, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Birth of a Seattle broadcasting legend". February 27, 2016. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Voice of the Huskies Bob Rondeau retiring after 2017 season". April 20, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Tony Castricone to succeed Bob Rondeau as voice of UW Husky football, men's basketball". August 29, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Craig Heyamoto, Bob Rondeau's stat man, makes his mark in his own way for UW football". The Seattle Times. October 20, 2016. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  12. 1 2 "After nearly four decades, Bob Rondeau has one last game to call: Inside UW's tribute to the 'Voice of the Huskies'". December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  13. ↑ "You may know his voice. But do you really know Bob Rondeau?" . Retrieved December 31, 2017.
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