Report: Bob Harris, beloved Hall of Fame Voice of Duke athletics, dead

Legendary Duke radio play-by-play announcer Bob Harris died on Wednesday in Durham, it was announced. Harris was a staple in both football and men’s basketball as he was the Voice of both programs for decades. He was 82 years old.

“It is with a very heavy heart that I report that Bob Harris passed away this morning with Bob’s wife Phyllis at his side, holding his hand,” Wes Chesson, one of Harris’ color analysts on the radio, said.

Harris called Duke football games from 1976 until his retirement in 2017, being on the air for 471 consecutive games. Blue Devil fans also heard him for the majority of Mike Krzyzewski’s tenure in Durham, calling 1,392 games.

The program had a ton of success during that period. Harris was present for 16 ACC Tournament Championship game victories, 13 Final Fours, and 10 Final Fours. Half of those resulted in national championships as Harris called five of the program’s six men’s basketball titles.

Harris won the North Carolina Sports Broadcaster of the Year award on three different occasions and was elected into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. He then stayed on the microphone for another 11 years, continuing his legendary career.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer reveals motivation after NCAA Tournament loss

After leading Duke to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in his first season at the helm for the Blue Devils, head coach Jon Scheyer helped the team advance to the Elite Eight in last year’s March Madness. Eliminated by an NC State team that also eliminated them from the ACC Tournament in the championship game.

Scheyer and the Blue Devils showing improvement in the NCAA Tournament from year one to year two is a promising sign. But one that Duke fans are surely not satisfied with at large in the big picture. And neither is Scheyer, who opened up with Duke alum and current analyst Jay Bilas about how last year’s postseason elimination fuels his fire.

“I think for me look, even right now drives me,” Scheyer told Bilas on The Brotherhood Podcast. “I’ve been really fortunate to be a part of championship teams here, and high school, and all the way through. But before then it’s been tough losses and disappointment and you either can make an excuse and rationalize or you can look in the mirror and think about how can we build off of what we’ve done?”

On3’s Kaiden Smith contributed to this report