Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Kris Freeman named new PA announcer for football
6/8/2022 5:00:00 PM | Football
The veteran PA announcer takes over after the 52-year career of Larry Tolbert
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — When Kris Freeman was asked, his instinct as a peacemaker came over him.
The high school teacher turned public address announcer, with jobs with Vanderbilt men's and women's basketball, the TSSAA championships, and even the local high schools where he first started his PA career, certainly has a full schedule these days. But when the opportunity came up to become the new PA announcer at Middle Tennessee, and the schedules worked out for everyone, it was an easy decision for Freeman.
Come September 17 at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium, when the Blue Raiders open the 2022 home season against Tennessee State, Freeman will be the new public address announcer for MT Football.
"I'm very thankful that Middle Tennessee State would give me the opportunity to be able to do this," Freeman said. "I want to bring excellence and professionalism to everything that I do, and I hope that at the end of the season they can look back and be thankful for the investment they made in me."
Freeman, who got his start announcing games at White House High School in Sumner County, Tenn., where he taught marketing and digital communications among other classes before leaving to start his own media company, Strategic Marketing Solutions, this past year, will take over in the PA booth for long-time announcer Larry Tolbert, who retired after 52 seasons in the role, starting with the 1970 season, the fall after he graduated from Murfreesboro Central High School.
"I'm extremely honored to be able to sit in the seat of someone as legendary as Mr. Tolbert," Freeman said. "Because there's nothing else that needs to be said for all the incredible work that he's done. This is a tremendous honor to have that opportunity."
Tolbert still remembers how he got his start at MT, picking up a 3x5 card on a bulletin board outside the WMOT radio station on campus, where he was a late-night, weekend announcer for the station as a senior in high school. The card had contact information for Sports Information Director Jim Freeman and was looking for a public address announcer.
Tolbert got the job, missing just one game over the next 52 seasons starting in the fall of 1970, announcing lineups, tackles and touchdowns for teams coached by five different Blue Raider Head Coaches.
"I called and met Jim for the first time, and he became a lifelong friend," Tolbert recalled. "He hired me for a little job. He left the university for a bit and later came back, so I always bragged to Jim that I was his longest tenured employee."
Tolbert has many great memories from his time in the booth above the field at Floyd Stadium, from MT's 70-58 win over Idaho early in their tenure in the Sun Belt, to a thrilling, rain-soaked victory over I-AA power Georgia Southern. But he thought last season, after also retiring from his law practice in Murfreesboro this March, was a good time to step away.
"I'm ready to go anywhere, at any time, whenever I can," Tolbert said, talking with excitement about the opportunities him and his wife, Martha, will have to tandem bike even more often than the cycling enthusiasts have before.
"The run of Larry Tolbert is remarkable, and we'll find a great time to honor that next fall," director of athletics Chris Massaro said. "He's been our PA voice for 52 years for football. He was always there, always answered the bell, and we're so appreciative of his efforts. We wish him well in his newfound time, where he can hopefully sit in the stands as a fan and be able to yell at the referee a little bit."
Tolbert was modest about his accomplishments in the booth, saying: "It was a little job that I enjoyed. I got a good seat and I got to be, in my mind at least, a participant in the game."
Ironically, Freeman has been the only PA voice other than Tolbert to announce a MT game at Floyd Stadium in the past 52 seasons, as Freeman subbed in for Tolbert during last year's win over Marshall. When MT faced Vanderbilt in the WNIT tournament this spring, the two men met in person for the first time.
"I heard so many people, they were kind to me, say 'well Larry, there's just you, but whoever that guy was, he did a really good job, too,'" Tolbert said.
Freeman said his PA career really took off in 2015, when he was hired as the PA announcer for Vanderbilt basketball. He currently announces for both the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the lacrosse team at Vanderbilt, and is also the voice of the TSSAA basketball championships, along with several other TSSAA events.
"It doesn't matter what level you're on, you need to give it the same excellence to a local rec team as you would for a college or professional team," Freeman said. "And I hope that's something I've been able to do."
Massaro certainly agreed with Freeman's assessment.
"Anytime you replace a legend, that's always really difficult to do," Massaro said. "But Kris has filled in for us in the past and been great. We've had a lot of fan feedback on what a great job he did. We're excited that he's going to be our football PA announcer. He's not a rookie, we know exactly what we're getting. And we're getting an excellent PA announcer. I think our fans are going to really enjoy his skills from the PA booth. We will miss Larry and look forward to seeing him in the stands as a fan."
The high school teacher turned public address announcer, with jobs with Vanderbilt men's and women's basketball, the TSSAA championships, and even the local high schools where he first started his PA career, certainly has a full schedule these days. But when the opportunity came up to become the new PA announcer at Middle Tennessee, and the schedules worked out for everyone, it was an easy decision for Freeman.
Come September 17 at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium, when the Blue Raiders open the 2022 home season against Tennessee State, Freeman will be the new public address announcer for MT Football.
"I'm very thankful that Middle Tennessee State would give me the opportunity to be able to do this," Freeman said. "I want to bring excellence and professionalism to everything that I do, and I hope that at the end of the season they can look back and be thankful for the investment they made in me."
Freeman, who got his start announcing games at White House High School in Sumner County, Tenn., where he taught marketing and digital communications among other classes before leaving to start his own media company, Strategic Marketing Solutions, this past year, will take over in the PA booth for long-time announcer Larry Tolbert, who retired after 52 seasons in the role, starting with the 1970 season, the fall after he graduated from Murfreesboro Central High School.
"I'm extremely honored to be able to sit in the seat of someone as legendary as Mr. Tolbert," Freeman said. "Because there's nothing else that needs to be said for all the incredible work that he's done. This is a tremendous honor to have that opportunity."
Tolbert still remembers how he got his start at MT, picking up a 3x5 card on a bulletin board outside the WMOT radio station on campus, where he was a late-night, weekend announcer for the station as a senior in high school. The card had contact information for Sports Information Director Jim Freeman and was looking for a public address announcer.
Tolbert got the job, missing just one game over the next 52 seasons starting in the fall of 1970, announcing lineups, tackles and touchdowns for teams coached by five different Blue Raider Head Coaches.
"I called and met Jim for the first time, and he became a lifelong friend," Tolbert recalled. "He hired me for a little job. He left the university for a bit and later came back, so I always bragged to Jim that I was his longest tenured employee."
Tolbert has many great memories from his time in the booth above the field at Floyd Stadium, from MT's 70-58 win over Idaho early in their tenure in the Sun Belt, to a thrilling, rain-soaked victory over I-AA power Georgia Southern. But he thought last season, after also retiring from his law practice in Murfreesboro this March, was a good time to step away.
"I'm ready to go anywhere, at any time, whenever I can," Tolbert said, talking with excitement about the opportunities him and his wife, Martha, will have to tandem bike even more often than the cycling enthusiasts have before.
"The run of Larry Tolbert is remarkable, and we'll find a great time to honor that next fall," director of athletics Chris Massaro said. "He's been our PA voice for 52 years for football. He was always there, always answered the bell, and we're so appreciative of his efforts. We wish him well in his newfound time, where he can hopefully sit in the stands as a fan and be able to yell at the referee a little bit."
Tolbert was modest about his accomplishments in the booth, saying: "It was a little job that I enjoyed. I got a good seat and I got to be, in my mind at least, a participant in the game."
Ironically, Freeman has been the only PA voice other than Tolbert to announce a MT game at Floyd Stadium in the past 52 seasons, as Freeman subbed in for Tolbert during last year's win over Marshall. When MT faced Vanderbilt in the WNIT tournament this spring, the two men met in person for the first time.
"I heard so many people, they were kind to me, say 'well Larry, there's just you, but whoever that guy was, he did a really good job, too,'" Tolbert said.
Freeman said his PA career really took off in 2015, when he was hired as the PA announcer for Vanderbilt basketball. He currently announces for both the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the lacrosse team at Vanderbilt, and is also the voice of the TSSAA basketball championships, along with several other TSSAA events.
"It doesn't matter what level you're on, you need to give it the same excellence to a local rec team as you would for a college or professional team," Freeman said. "And I hope that's something I've been able to do."
Massaro certainly agreed with Freeman's assessment.
"Anytime you replace a legend, that's always really difficult to do," Massaro said. "But Kris has filled in for us in the past and been great. We've had a lot of fan feedback on what a great job he did. We're excited that he's going to be our football PA announcer. He's not a rookie, we know exactly what we're getting. And we're getting an excellent PA announcer. I think our fans are going to really enjoy his skills from the PA booth. We will miss Larry and look forward to seeing him in the stands as a fan."
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