On afternoons in the New York area, Bob Heussler’s voice can be heard giving updates on the Mike and the Mad Dog Show on WFAN, one of the most well-known sports talk shows in the country.
For 19 years Heussler has also been the voice of Fairfield men’s basketball, providing a constant identity for the team.
“I have an affinity for the Fairfield program,” Heussler said, describing why he has stayed at Fairfield. “It catches up to you; all of a sudden I have been doing it for so long that I have become identified with the program, and I take pride in that.”
Heussler’s son, Gary, is a junior at Fairfield, which fosters another connection with the University.
Fairfield Athletic Director Gene Doris said, “Bob Heussler is the consummate professional and more than that he has had an abiding passion for Fairfield men’s basketball.
“He has been our play-by-play person for the entire time I have been here. While I was new to Fairfield then and only knew the respect everyone had for him, it would be hard for me to imagine Fairfield men’s basketball without Bob as its voice. He is a valued member of our ‘family.’ Our coaches and players would echo those feelings,” said Doris.
Heussler, who is also the adviser for WVOF sports and broadcasts Connecticut Sun games, is a veteran of the radio business, starting out in college at the University of Bridgeport.
His career at Fairfield began with a cold call to the sports director at WGCH in 1983, the station that broadcast Stags’ games at the time, after hearing that there was an opening for a play-by-play position. He had an interview and got the job.
Heussler served as the play-by-play man for the Stags until 1988, when he took time off to spend time raising his two young sons.
One year later, the UConn play-by-play position opened up and Heussler took that job.
He held the position until 1994 when the network he worked for lost the broadcasting rights to the games.
While at UConn, he gained national attention with his call of Tate George’s last second shot to defeat Clemson in the NCAA Tournament in 1990.
“It was the right place at the right moment. I had the perfect vantage point. I was up about 20 rows above the court instead of on the court like I usually am,” said Heussler. “I learned that the audience appreciates emotion when the moment calls for it.
“I enjoyed making the call. People won’t let me forget it; they bring it up when I meet them. I am certainly proud of it and lucky to have been in the position to make it,” he said.
Heussler returned to Fairfield in 1994 when Vic D’Ascenzo, who was then the Stags sports information director and is now coordinator of the Lyons-Lademan Academic Fund for Fairfield, asked him to return.
Part of Heussler’s job at Fairfield is serving as an adviser for WVOF sports, which helps him train new generations of broadcasters, as they often call Stags games along with him, when his usual partner John Cummings is not able to call the game because there is a women’s game at the same time.
“One thing lacking in the business is mentors,” Heussler said. “The more I do it, the more I understand the fulfillment I get from developing young talent.”
Heussler is proud of the fact that he can look back on a student who started out raw and listen to the tapes after he works with him for a while and see how smooth and polished he is.
He has helped many students find jobs after Fairfield broadcasting professionally.
Brendan Monahan ’10, who works for WVOF and has broadcast games with Heussler in the past, has valued the experience of working with him.
“Bob is a great guy to call a game with. He sort of took me under his wing during a tournament we were at in Hartford last year,” said Monahan. “There is no doubt in my mind that calling games with Bob is a huge help because he teaches you everything you need to know about having your thoughts clearly understood by a listener.”
“If you are willing to put time into broadcasting, Bob will put time into you,” he added.
Working at WFAN on the Mike and the Mad Dog Show has made Heussler a well-known figure throughout the sports world.
“It’s fun working with those guys [hosts Mike Francesca and Chris Russo], but you have to be on your toes. They joke around a lot, but so much of it is for entertainment,” said Heussler. “I am a backboard for them in a lot of ways, but I realize where they are coming from; we are good friends off the air.”
One advantage for Fairfield of having Heussler on the show is that it brings the school attention, since Mike and the Mad Dog would not likely talk about the Stags if not for Heussler.
“I think it’s a double-edged sword,” said Heussler. “Fairfield gets a lot of exposure. When things aren’t going good, Fairfield gets hammered, but when they are good it is great exposure.”
Heussler has been a major asset for Fairfield, and men’s basketball would not be the same without him.
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