Woody gets five years

Durham receives contract extension
By Larry Keech, Staff Writer, Greensboro News & Record

Woody Durham, North Carolina's football and basketball radio play-by-play voice for 32 years, has received a contract extension that should keep him on the air for at least five more years.

Durham, 61, was awarded the extension by Learfield Communications, the multi- media rightsholder for UNC athletics.

"It is hard to think of Carolina athletics without Woody Durham behind the microphone," said UNC athletics director Dick Baddour. "Woody and (color analyst) Mick Mixon are an important part of the Carolina family."

The agreement was announced by Gary Sobba, who oversees Learfield's partnership with the university as general manager of Tar Heel Sports Marketing.

Besides his play-by-play duties, Durham serves as host of the football and basketball coaches' weekly television programs, call-in radio programs and daily radio updates.

"After 32 years, I think every Carolina fan knows of my passion for the university and the Tar Heels," said Durham, who has broadcast more than 1,400 UNC football and basketball games. "I look forward to watching (football coach) John Bunting and (basketball coach) Roy Williams get (the programs) back to the levels where every Tar Heel fan hopes they will be."

A Mebane native who grew up in Albemarle, Durham graduated from UNC in 1963. He became the permanent radio voice for Carolina in '71 and has been named North Carolina's sportscaster of the year 11 times. He and Jean, his wife of 39 years, have two sons, both of whom work in the broadcasting field. Wes Durham is Georgia Tech's play-by-play voice and Taylor Durham is network recruiting manager with Winston-Salem-based International Sports Properties.

BASKETBALL EXHIBITION: North Carolina will face N.C. Central in a preseason exhibition basketball game Nov. 13 at the Smith Center. NCAA rules allow Division I teams to schedule an exhibition game against a Division II opponent. Roy Williams, UNC's new coach, made a practice of scheduling such games while coaching at Kansas.

"Roy wanted to continue that tradition, and he gave me a call," N.C. Central coach Phil Spence told the Durham Herald-Sun. "Regardless of the outcome, it's a win-win situation for us."

Carolina will not release its full schedule until August. Three nonconference games are set, including home dates in which the Tar Heels will face Old Dominion Nov. 21 and Connecticut Jan. 17, plus a Dec. 28 meeting with UNC Wilmington in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Dates have not been announced for UNC home games against Miami, Akron, Maine and an opponent to be determined in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Nonconference road opponents are Kentucky, Cleveland State and Davidson (at the Charlotte Coliseum).

 

Woody's the best in the business. The day he retires will be a sad day for Tar Heel fans everywhere.

 

somebody's got to figure out a way to pipe in crowd noise to posts.

 

But for nobody else.

I like Woody in the sense that he doesn't seem to pull punches with Carolina stuff, but he still bleeds Carolina blue.

 

He should have a lifetime deal. Whenever he wants to quit - its up to him. He is the best.

 

on a side note here, duke really needs to get rid of the gay ass guy that does their basketball games. But, david silver's dad does a pretty good job on there. They should keep him.

 

no need to be redundant there do wah diddy

 

who are duke announcers?

Is Bob Harris there? What about Mike Waters?