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Thank You UC!

Tom Gelehrter
May 6, 2015
5 min read

The last time I was not a full-time employee of the University of Cincinnati was August 6, 2006. 3,195 days have passed since then and yesterday I walked away from UC after nine awesome years. Today, I will try and properly say ‘thank you’ for one incredible ride.

TO MIKE WADDELL & MIKE THOMAS: I worked with both of you at the University of Akron right out of college. Waddell paid me $35/game to call women’s basketball during the 2002-03 season. The Zips won 2 games. I spent my entire paycheck driving back-and-forth from Cleveland to Akron. It was worth every minute and every penny. The two Mike’s believed in me and brought me to UC in August of 2006. Without their belief and support, none of this is possible.

TO MY WLW RADIO TEAM: Before my 2nd football season at UC, Brian Kelly told administration he wanted to have a sideline reporter on the radio. Mike Waddell gave me that opportunity, with one stipulation; I drop the “my” at the end of my first name and go by Tom. It is a meeting I will never forget and always be grateful for. WLW believed in me and let me join a booth full of pros. Serving as the sideline reporter for Bearcats football the past 8 years has been awesome. Furthermore, sitting in as the back-up to Dan Hoard has been a great honor. I now know what it is like to be #2 behind the likes of Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. I am lucky to get to continue to fill-in when Dan has conflicts and look forward to those opportunities when they come around. Dan, Jim, Mo and Chuck….thank you. I am lucky to call all of you great friends and will forever have fond memories of our broadcasts together.

TO FOX SPORTS OHIO: Year number three at UC brought upon hosting duties for a newly created coaches show, “Bearcats Sports Weekly.” Again, I am fortunate as Tom Farmer and the good folks at FSO in Cleveland took a leap of faith and named me the host of the weekly coaches’ shows with Brian Kelly and Mick Cronin. From my role as host of the shows I moved courtside and became the “Television Voice of the Bearcats.” This will forever be one of my favorite accomplishments of the past nine years. That said, I couldn’t have done it without the support of Farmer, Tim Baker, Bob Pennell, David Ashbrock, Kent “Dream” Weaver and many others at FSO.

TO MY COACHES: Your support has meant everything. When I arrived in 2006 I was trying to figure it all out. Your support and encouragement along the way means the world to me. I have worked with 30 head coaches during my nine years at UC, including 4 football coaches, 3 women’s basketball coaches, 3 women’s soccer coaches and countless assistants. Special thanks to Mick Cronin and Brian Kelly for putting up with me in the early days of “Bearcats Sports Weekly.” I was a bit green, you allowed me to learn and we put together a pretty solid show. Butch Jones let me grow the program and Tommy Tuberville made it easy. I will forever be grateful for all of you.

INTERNS: Shortly after I began working at the Lindner Center I got a call from Dr. John Owens, professor of electronic media within CCM. He said he had a potential intern for me and asked to set-up a meeting. Note: at this point in my tenure I was very much figuring everything out. I had no clue what I was going to do with an intern. Owens brought by Travis Holmes and such began a great tradition of internships within my office. From Travis I got to know Duane, Dylan and Chuges, from those three I got to know Scott Waldrop. The women’s lacrosse team has provided at least one intern for the past 7 years. J-Heat takes the cake as the fastest intern we ever had. Shane Harrison showed so much initiative it eventually turned into a full-time role. Many have gone on to do great things with big time companies. It began with a visit from Owens and Holmes and turned into the backbone of my operation.

TO SHANE & MEGAN: For six years, I ran the New Media department at UC by myself. Finally, with year seven on the horizon, I was able to hire former intern Shane Harrison into a full-time role, thanks to the leadership and belief of then AD, Whit Babcock. With Shane onboard, Bearcats TV was born and we took the multimedia side of GoBEARCATS.com to a new level. After two years Shane left for North Carolina and Megan Coffey stepped in. While I only got to spend eight months with Megan, the transition was seamless, during a time when it needed to be. For that I will be forever grateful.

TO THE FANS: You are what makes this job so great. Thank you for stopping to say hello on the road, at bowl games, at events, on twitter or while I am mowing the lawn. Your passion for the Bearcats is what makes UC Athletics a special place.

TO MY WIFE AND FAMILY: Without the support of my loving wife and my awesome family, none of the above, or this venture is a reality. While working at UC I was gone countless evenings and weekends. Their support in ways I don’t have nearly enough time or space to express, means the world to me. Furthermore, their support as I dive into this new (and crazy) world is part of the reason I am confident it will be a success.

If you didn’t get a mention above that doesn’t mean I don’t love you or didn’t appreciate my time with you. If you do get a mention below, it means you stood out over the last nine years (of I whiffed and forgot to include you, please forgive me.)

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. With an exciting new challenge and company at my hands. If you helped get me to this moment, thank you.

#Tom #ThankYou #UC #UniversityofCincinnati