Evan Hughes excited to become voice of Virginia Tech men's basketball
Evan Hughes
Evan Hughes will still be courtside at Cassell Coliseum in the upcoming basketball season, but he will be announcing the games of a different team.
Virginia Tech announced Thursday that Hughes, who has been the radio voice of Tech women's basketball and baseball for the past five school years, will be the new radio play-by-play announcer of Tech men's basketball.
Hughes is a Virginia Tech graduate, so his new job is particularly meaningful to him.
"I'm very excited," Hughes, 27, said Thursday in a phone interview. "My dad played soccer at Virginia Tech. I grew up a Hokie. I sat in Lane Stadium and Cassell Coliseum. To get to go to Virginia Tech as a student, … to work for the last five years for Tech women's basketball and baseball and then now to work with men's basketball, … it is a dream come true for me. To be a Hokie through and through, an alum and now to represent that (men's basketball) program on the radio, I am deeply honored."
Hughes succeeds Zach Mackey, who was the men's basketball play-play announcer for the past four seasons. Mackey is leaving the Tech radio network to do TV play-by-play for the Big Ten Network.
Evan Hughes, who has been the radio voice of Tech women's basketball and baseball the past five school years, is the new radio play-by-play voice for Tech men's basketball.
Hughes also will succeed Mackey in his other duties, including being the sideline reporter, pregame host and postgame host for Tech football radio broadcasts; co-hosting "Tech Talk Live," the weekly radio show of the Tech football and men's basketball head coaches; and serving as the radio network's director of broadcasting.
Hughes is exiting his jobs as the radio voice for women's basketball and baseball. Tech hired him for those jobs in August 2021 — just three months after he graduated from college.
In those roles, Hughes was only heard on WBRW-FM in Blacksburg (for women's basketball) and WRAD-FM in Blacksburg (for baseball). As the voice of men's basketball, he will be heard on the entire Tech radio network.
Hughes said it was hard to tell women's basketball coach Megan Duffy that he was leaving her team's broadcasts.
"That program has poured so much into me," he said. "It was such a privilege to work with Coach (Kenny) Brooks and his staff and also Coach Duffy and her staff and to be part of these last five years."
Hughes got to call the memorable 2022-23 women's season, which saw Brooks' Hokies win the ACC Tournament and defeat Ohio State in the Elite Eight to earn a spot in the Final Four.‘
"One of my favorite moments of my life was getting to be the one to say for the first time in school history, ‘Virginia Tech to the Final Four,’" Hughes said. "If you had to ask me my favorite … game, it was definitely the Elite Eight game against Ohio State. I can remember that game vividly. … I can remember the final 15 seconds, standing from my spot and trying to look around and really drink it in.
"It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
Hughes got to announce the games of some Tech women's basketball greats, including Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore.
Elizabeth Kitley, left, and Evan Hughes, center, interview Virginia Tech coach Megan Duffy, right, after a women's basketball game. Hughes will now be doing Tech men's basketball radio broadcasts.
"They're arguably the greatest duo in the history of Virginia Tech athletics," Hughes said.
Hughes also got to announce the 2022 Tech baseball season, which saw the Hokies advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.
"The team that I think is the greatest team in the history of Tech baseball, I got to call those moments," Hughes said.
Hughes also has served as an ACC Network Extra announcer for some Tech wrestling, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse and softball home telecasts, as well as for the home telecasts of some Tech men's basketball nonconference games. He hopes to still do some ACC Network Extra telecasts for sports other than men's basketball.
Hughes will team with analyst Mike Burnop on the men's basketball broadcasts.
Hughes is looking forward to being the sideline reporter for Tech football radio broadcasts and teaming with Burnop and play-by-play announcer Bill Roth.
"I just want to … deliver the best information possible to Tech fans from the sideline," Hughes said.
Alongside Burnop, Hughes will co-host the first 90 minutes of the network's football pregame show. The two also will co-host the football postgame show.
"I know from experience what it's like … to get out of your seat at a game and Lane Stadium and to get to your car to hear the postgame coverage," Hughes said.
Also alongside Burnop, Hughes will co-host "Tech Talk Live" and interview football coach James Franklin and men's basketball coach Mike Young on those shows.
"As somebody who grew up listening to Bill and Mike, to work with Mike Burnop doing 'Tech Talk Live’ and men's basketball, I can't believe it," Hughes said. "I'm so excited to work with Coach Franklin and Coach Young on those (coaches' shows)."
Hughes is not a rookie at coaches' shows, having hosted Duffy's show on WBRW-FM.
As the new broadcasting director of the radio network, Hughes will deal with affiliates and oversee the operations of the broadcasts.
"(Replacing) Zach, … it's massive shoes to fill on the broadcast side and it's massive shoes to fill behind the scenes," Hughes said.
Hughes, a Hanover County native, graduated from Patrick Henry High School in Ashland.
"I never would have thought 10 years ago when I was broadcasting (games) for … my high school when I was a student that 10 years later I would be in this position," he said. "I started my own broadcast network in high school. … This is a day where I'm just fully grateful that I grew up in Rockville, Virginia, and had the best community possible."
Tech has yet to hire a replacement for Hughes on women's basketball and baseball.
Mark Berman (540) 981-3125
