Radio Connection grad Callan McClurg Forges Sports Announcer Career!

Radio Connection graduate Callan McClurg is taking his love of sports and building a successful career in radio day by day. Callan is the announcer for Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego where he does in-stadium and in-arena announcing for multiple teams. He’s also doing the play-by-play for PLNU that’s streamed live online. And, as if that wasn’t enough, Callan also does part-time announcing at San Diego State University and has launched his own YouTube channel to cover the WNBA.

You might be wondering how someone goes about obtaining a job as a play-by-play announcer. Well, the answer is simple. You have to have the connections and the talent to see it through. Callan built connections by getting involved in the local sports scene. Naturally, when a position opened up at PLNU, one of Callan’s friends recommended him for the announcing job. When the phone rang, Callan was ready to go. “I got the phone call, and it was one of the fastest yesses that ever crossed my lips. This was to be a chance for me to do what I do best.” And boy is that true. Because of Callan’s enthusiasm and work ethic, the position that he got hired to do has been expanded. Callan now covers every sport during the months of September to May. He works a lot and is still going strong with a passion for sports announcing that runs deep.

Even as a youngster, Callan was already announcing plays. He recalls going to see the Padres play the Braves at Qualcomm Stadium on his 10th birthday. As his present, Callan got his chance to announce:

So even before I got to do my little spiel, we get to go to the press box at Qualcomm Stadium. We’re amongst baseball writers, baseball media members, television. And then at the bottom of the third inning, it was my time to go on. And the person, my escort, had given me the script that they had read, but I took it and then I gave it back and said, “I don’t need this because I already know what he says.”

So, the PA announcer introduces me, I see my name on the scoreboard and then I introduced the batter, “Leading off the bottom of the third for the Padres, third base, number 32, Sean Burroughs.” Soon as I finished that, 50,000 people rose to their feet and literally applaud[ed] for almost a minute and a half.

And even as my dad and I had left the press box, we were getting stopped on our way back to our seats by Padres fans and Braves fans. Even Bob Chandler, the longtime Padres announcer, left his computer and walked to my dad and said, “Sir, is this your son?” My dad said, “Yes.” “I’ll tell you something right now, sir. Your son has the brightest future amongst any person I’ve ever seen come up here to do this little thing that they do. I wish him the best at his future.”

Flash forward a decade and Callan is back at Qualcomm Stadium, working as the part-time public address announcer for the SDSU football team. Callan says, “When I go to the press box to work I just close my eyes and go back and relive that moment over and over again.”

Callan always knew sports announcing would be his future. He found Radio Connection online and was impressed with the ease of the program which matched Callan with a radio mentor in his area, and the tuition that is “way less than any four-year university.” Paired with Chris Torrick at KRLY 107.9 FM in San Diego, he walked into the studio for his first training session and Chris, seeing Callan already had the basics, had him go live on-air that same night! Was he caught off guard? Sure. But Callan soon found his rhythm.

Ever-driven to make the most of opportunity, Callan was even resourceful enough to use his apprenticeship with Radio Connection to help him secure one-on-one interviews with WNBA superstars Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Candice Wiggins, now playing for New York Liberty.

Callan is now graduated from the Radio Connection, but the connections and opportunities he’s created for himself are generating more connections, more growth, and more experience. He’s forging a name for himself and making the career he’s wanted come true.

Find out more about careers in radio broadcasting at radioconnection.com.