A ‘wild ride’ leads Matt Chazanow to voice of NC State football, men’s basketball

Before his very first professional collegiate broadcast, Matt Chazanow found himself sweating bullets on High Point’s women’s basketball charter bus. The Panthers were headed to Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh to take on Kay Yow’s Wolfpack, but they found themselves in traffic. 

Chazanow, a budding 21-year-old broadcaster at the time, was in full suit, eager to begin his professional journey in broadcasting. Eventually, the bus pulled into the NC State parking lot and he did the game courtside.

It was his first introduction to the life of a broadcaster. He pushed through the nerves and did the broadcast — a 78-48 Wolfpack win over the Panthers to open the 2006 campaign. 

“I had no idea who was listening — if anybody,” Chazanow told TheWolfpacker.com “I couldn’t have been more excited. Jittery, sweating — the full deal. It was just awesome.”

That November night may have been a fitting way for Chazanow to break into college play-by-play broadcasting. Now, 17 years and four jobs later, he climbed the ladder to become NC State’s lead play-by-play broadcaster for football and men’s basketball. 

The Wolfpack named Chazanow the fifth voice of the university in June, replacing Gary Hahn after 34 years in the radio booth, and it’s been a whirlwind of a month for the broadcaster. Chazanow, a Syracuse grad that hails from New Jersey, moved his family from Pullman, Wash., where he was the voice of Washington State, back to the Tar Heel State. 

It’s the latest chapter in Chazanow’s professional career, which has seen him live in North Carolina for all but one stop — his most recent nine years at Washington State. He spent his first year at High Point before nearly two years at UNC Greensboro and nine years at IMG Media’s headquarters in Winston-Salem. 

“It’s been a wild ride,” Chazanow said of his career. “It’s an adventure is what it’s been.”

Chazanow has come a long way since he sat on High Point’s bus and he is appreciative of the opportunity that he has to follow in Hahn’s footsteps. The Wolfpack’s previous three broadcasters all spent more than a decade in the booth each before Hahn was behind the microphone for more than 30 years. 

While that is not intimidating for Chazanow, he did say he will feel some pressure by following behind a Raleigh staple.

“There’s definitely pressure and you’re putting yourself out there to try to make everybody happy,” Chazanow said. “I want everybody to be really happy with all of it — this living, breathing thing that is a broadcast. I think trust is earned and that’s not a process you can speed up.”

Chazanow takes his new role with “a great deal of gratitude” moving to NC State. Being the new voice, he recognized there will be a learning process for listeners to adjust to a new person over the airwaves. 

But at the same time, he loves that the Pack fans are passionate about who they are listening to. 

“When your work matters and you’re in it, what else could you ask for?” Chazanow said. “This is an opportunity to have your work matter. … I think with that comes a certain degree of understanding that you’re coming into this thing on the back of a 34-year run and I’m the new guy.”

While being the “new guy” is sure to come with an adjustment period, Chazanow has embraced a Maya Angelou quote:  “People don’t remember what you say, they remember how you make them feel.”

That quote is how Chazanow approaches his job behind the microphone and that will not change at NC State. In fact, he hopes he can continue to serve as the eyes and ears of so many Wolfpack fans that prefer to tune into the radio broadcast when the Pack is on the gridiron or hardwood during the season. 

“I think humility is important, so I feel very grateful to have these opportunities because I get to do something I love,” Chazanow said. “In the end, as I’ve gotten older in doing this, the thing I value the most is the ability to be a vessel to Wolfpack fans for this thing that means so much to so many people. I have the gift and the opportunity to keep what Gary Hahn has had going.”

That trait appeared to be a key reason why NC State decided to hire Chazanow

“Chaz understands that this role isn’t only about calling games, but about bringing special moments and memories to Wolfpack fans of all ages,” NC State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. “While he is a very talented radio announcer, he will also be a great representative of our university, our brand, and our culture.”

Chazanow looks forward to calling games this fall with Johnny Evans and Tony Haynes by his side. This isn’t a job he’s taking lightly and Chazanow’s winding road brought him back to North Carolina. 

The broadcaster oozes confidence and excitement, both things he wants to portray over the air when NC State kicks off the 2024 season against Western Carolina on Aug. 29 at Carter-Finley Stadium.

“I’m elated,” Chazanow said. “I couldn’t be more excited. It’s an amazing opportunity. It’s the best place — NC State’s incredible. I’ve always admired it. … I can’t wait to dive in.”