The hunt for the next “Voice of the Tigers” is winding down.
LSU has narrowed its list of candidates to replace Jim Hawthorne to about 10 people and will begin meeting face-to-face with the finalists over the next few weeks, said Michael Bonnette, a school spokesman and one of the decision-makers in the process.
Names of the finalists are not being released.
The university received more than 100 applications for the position since it began accepting them about six weeks ago. The school is on pace to select a hire by the end of the summer, Bonnette said.
“We would like to have everything wrapped up at some point this summer. Depending on who it is, we’d determine when they’d come on board,” Bonnette said. “We had a very impressive list of people who are interested that applied. The interest is there. We have a great list to pick from. We’re confident we’ll have somebody that LSU fans will be happy about. We’ve had candidates from all over the country apply.”
LSU wants Hawthorne’s successor to be in place for the start of an orientation period Nov. 1, but the person could arrive well before that.
Bonnette, athletic director Joe Alleva, Ward Wyatt, the general manager of LSU Sports Properties, and Gordy Rush, the vice president and marketing manager for Guaranty Broadcasting, form the selection committee.
Hawthorne announced in February that he will be retiring from the job as “Voice of the Tigers” following the 2015-16 basketball season, sparking the search for a full-time announcer that LSU hasn’t undertaken in more than 30 years.
Hawthorne, 71, will call the remainder of this baseball season and this year’s football season before calling it quits after basketball following 32 years in the position.
The school received about 120 applications for the position – officially called “Director of Broadcasting for the LSU Sports Radio Network.” The position includes being the radio play-by-play announcer for LSU football, basketball and baseball.
In addition to calling nearly 100 events per year on radio, Hawthorne’s replacement will be expected to host coach’s radio and TV shows and handle other programming duties. Qualifications include a minimum of three years play-by-play experience in NCAA Division I or professional sports.
“We could have had more (applications),” Bonnette said, “but we were very deliberate with our requirements. It’s a special skill.”
Via– Ross Dellenger, the advocate