Mitch Holthus
Mitch Holthus | |
|---|---|
 Holthus at a Chiefs mini camp practice | |
| Born | |
| Education | B.A. in Business administration, Kansas State University |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Spouse | Tami Johnson |
Mitch Holthus, is the play-by-play announcer for the Kansas City Chiefs and a college basketball announcer for ESPN. Additionally, he hosts "Chiefs Insider". He also hosts "Chiefs Live" on kcchiefs.com, alongside Kendall Gammon.
Personal life
Holthus is a native of Smith Center, Kansas,[1][dead link] where he was a multi-sport athlete in high school. It was also in high school he began his first tentative steps toward a radio career by announcing at his school games.[2] After graduation Holthus attended Kansas State University where he earned a journalism degree in 1979 and a business administration degree in 1980.[3] He is married to the former Tami Johnson of McPherson, Kansas, a former Kansas State women's basketball player.[1][dead link] They have two children, Brian and Hayley. Holthus often sends a radio "shout out" to the Roxbury Fan Club, a greeting to members of his family that live near Roxbury, Kansas.[3]
Broadcast career
In 1983 Mitch Holthus replaced Steve Physioc as the radio voice of the Kansas State Wildcats, broadcasting the schools' football and basketball games until 1996. Holthus was a finalist for broadcasting jobs with several NFL teams in the early 1990s, including the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Atlanta Falcons[2] Holthus has been with the Chiefs Radio Network since 1994, when he took over for Kevin Harlan, making him the longest-tenured play-by-play announcer in Chiefs history. He is best known perhaps for his drawn-out, exuberant "Touchdown, KAN-SAS CITY!" whenever the Chiefs reach the end zone.[2] In addition to his radio work, Holthus hosts "Minute With Mitch" and "Chiefs Insider" on select stations in the Chiefs television network. In addition to his work with the Kansas City Chiefs, Holthus is an announcer for Big 12 Conference and Missouri Valley Conference basketball games on regional television, as well as calling some college basketball games for ESPN-U. Holthus is a past President of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, and serves on its board of directors.[3]
Awards
- 8-time Kansas Sportscaster of the Year
- 9-time winner Kansas Broadcasters Association best play-by-play sportscast.
- 1996 "Hod Humiston Award of Excellence" in Kansas Sportscasting.
- 2007 awarded the "John Sanders Spirit of the Valley" by the Missouri Valley Conference.
References
Kansas Broadcaster's Hall of Fame