Bob Rondeau
Born1949 or 1950 (age 73–74)[1]
Alma materColorado (1972)
OccupationSports 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.

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

References

  1. ^ "'Voice of Huskies' Bob Rondeau to retire after football season". April 20, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "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. ^ a b c "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. ^ a b "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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