Mike Organ, The Tennessean

 

After serving as host of Tennessee State coach Rod Reed’s weekly radio show last year, Greg Pogue will expand his role this season when he becomes the voice of the Tigers.

 

Pogue will take over the play-by-play duties when the Tigers kick off the season on Sept. 6 in the John Merritt Classic against Alabama State at Nissan Stadium.

Albert Dawson, who handled the play-by-play last year, will become the color analyst and his son Gary Dawson, who was the color analyst, will become the sideline reporter.

 

"I am honored and humbled to be allowed the opportunity to broadcast TSU football,” Pogue said. “Everybody knows about the rich tradition of TSU, but the program is on such strong footing right now and the future is even brighter under coach Rod Reed, a former TSU football great himself."

 

Pogue is a longtime media figure in the Midstate. He was a sports writer at the Nashville Banner, sports editor of the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro and has served as a host for several local sports talk radio shows including the “Greg Pogue and Big Joe Show,” which currently airs weekday mornings on WNSR 560-AM/95.9 FM, TSU’s games will move to WVOL-AM 1470, which served as the broadcast home for many seasons before moving to an FM station a few years ago.

 

“We’ve been talking with Greg for about a year,” said TSU athletics director Teresa Phillips. “When he did coach Reed’s show last year that got us in a relationship of talking pretty much constantly about TSU athletics and things. So we’re pleased to be able to have Greg and real excited about what he can bring to our broadcast.”

Pogue will continue to serve as host of “The Rod Reed Show,” which will move to Sunday mornings on WNSR.

 

“We’re going to go with Sunday morning for the coach’s show ala the old John Merritt Show on (WTVF) Channel 5,” Phillips said. “So before people go to church and Sunday school hopefully they can see what coach Reed has to say on the show. That’s going to be good.”

 

Reed has a chummy relationship with Pogue and believes the new broadcast team will benefit his program.

 

“Greg’s a guy that’s full of hot air and he knows how to spread the word about Tennessee State,” Reed said. “He’s a great guy and I’m excited to be teamed up with him. I know that he’ll do a great job for our program and I thank (Phillips) for her foresight and bringing somebody like Greg in. Albert will still be with us so we’ve still got our two main guys and I’m real happy about that. There will be a lot of insight about what’s going on with TSU football.”

 

WVOL owner John Heidelberg said he is happy to have the TSU broadcast back on his station.

 

“I am, as they used to say, tickled pink,” said Heidelberg, who graduated from TSU in 1979. I’m absolutely thrilled to have them back in the fold. They were here many years ago and it’s just wonderful to have them back, particularly before the John Merritt Classic and with the new season getting underway. I’m looking forward to some very special and exciting things.”

 

Craig Ladd will serve as spotter for the game broadcasts.

 

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.