It’s not too often that you see broadcasters make the move from the pros back to college, but that’s what longtime Tennessee Titans announcer Mike Keith will be doing next season. And he won’t have far to do so. Keith will be traveling 180 miles eastward from Nashville to Knoxville to be the new voice of the Tennessee Volunteers.
A vacancy was created in the Tennessee radio booth when Bob Kesling announced his retirement that will be effective at the end of the current basketball season. Kesling had called football and men’s basketball for the Volunteers since 1999.
It’s a homecoming for Keith, who has served as the voice of the Titans for the past 26 seasons. He is a University of Tennessee graduate and worked for the school from 1987-1998 including calling Volunteers baseball games. Now he will return home after his time with the Titans to call football and men’s basketball.
The University of Tennessee announced Keith’s move on Thursday:
One of the top play-by-play radio announcers in sports, Hall of Fame radio voice and VFL Mike Keith, is returning to Rocky Top as the next “Voice of the Vols,” Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White announced on Thursday.
Keith just completed his 27th season with the Tennessee Titans in 2024, including the last 26 years as “The Voice of the Titans.”
“When we discussed potential candidates, one name topped our list without question: bringing Mike and his family back to Rocky Top,” said White. “He is a true icon in the broadcasting industry, and we are excited to harness Mike’s exceptional skill set to further elevate both the Vol Network and Tennessee Athletics in bold, innovative ways.”
Keith will be the lead play-by-play announcer for Tennessee’s football and men’s basketball games. He will also be involved in various new programming initiatives that will be unveiled later this year, promising fans an engaging and dynamic experience.
Even if you don’t know Mike Keith by name, you’ve definitely heard his voice as a football fan. His trademark “Touchdooooooooooooown Titans” call is well known. And he has one of the most famous calls in NFL history from his early years with the franchise in dubbing the “Music City Miracle” in 1999 when Frank Wycheck lateraled to Kevin Dyson.
One might think that any NFL job would be a career-defining destination, but that’s not always the case. Although nothing is bigger in sports than the NFL, nothing is bigger in Tennessee than the Volunteers.