WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University Department of Athletics, in conjunction with its multi-media marketing rights holder Nelligan Sports Marketing, announced a partnership with New Jersey's Millennium Radio Group to broadcast all of the Hawks' football games during the 2009 season on The Shore Sports Network, Fox Sports 1310 and 1160 WOBM AM.
“This is another step in moving Monmouth Athletics forward,” commented Monmouth University Vice President and Director of Athletics, Dr. Marilyn McNeil. “We are continuously working towards improving our access to our fans and general community, and we think this is a wonderful addition. We look forward to joining the Shore Sports Network family.”
“We are excited about our partnership with the Shore Sports Network,” said head football coach Kevin Callahan, in his 17th season at the helm of the program. “They have been a part of the shore football community for many years and we look forward to teaming up with them during the 2009 season.”
Callahan, the lone coach in Hawks' history added, “Monmouth Football will benefit from the exposure of their extremely high quality, professional productions. I have always been impressed by the preparation and knowledge of their broadcast team.”
Monmouth, which makes its broadcasts available to its fans online through www.gomuhawks.com, the home of Monmouth University athletics on the web, will offer all of the scheduled games for the 2009 season, both home and away. Home games are also set to feature live video, along with the radio broadcast, through the school's official website. The games will also be streamed live on www.shoresportsnetwork.com.
A pair of Monmouth University alums will combine to make the Hawks' first broadcast team, as Matt Harmon '96 and Ed Occhipinti '06 will call all of the action this fall.
Harmon, a member of Monmouth's first-ever football team, is the current radio play-by-play voice for high school football, basketball and baseball on the Shore Sports Network (1160/1310AM), while also serving as a co-host for a weekly sports show during the football season. The 2007 New Jersey Sportscaster of the Year, Harmon has served as a sports anchor for Shadow Broadcast Services and also as a play-by-play announcer for Cablevision's college and high school football, basketball and baseball coverage in the past.
A 1996 Monmouth University graduate, Harmon has also worked for various radio stations in New Jersey, including WGHT, WHTG and WADB, while also serving as an undergraduate sports director for WMCX, Monmouth's campus student-radio station. Harmon is also an adjunct faculty member in the Monmouth Communication Department, teaching classes such as Announcing, Sports Broadcasting, Media Ethics and Public Speaking. While at Monmouth, Harmon called the 1996 NEC Championship victory for the Hawks and the program's first NCAA game against Marquette. He was also a voice during the Blue and White's 1999 NEC final appearance, and the baseball team's NCAA Regional in Gainesville, Florida.
Occhipinti, a 2006 Monmouth University graduate, served as the radio play-by-play voice for the Hawks' football, men's basketball and baseball teams from 2003-2006. He was behind the microphone for the MU men's basketball team's last two appearances in the NCAA Tournament, 2004 against Mississippi State and 2006 against Hampton and Villanova, and also broadcasted the football team's back-to-back conference titles in 2003 and 2004. Occhipinti, who also served as a sports director for WMCX during his undergraduate days at Monmouth, called the 2003 Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and the 2005 Great Alaskan Shootout in Anchorage.
Most recently, Occhipinti broadcasted the Northeast Conference Women's Basketball Tournament on the Pack Network for the last two years and also provided the radio play-by-play for the Monmouth baseball team in its two games at the 2009 NCAA Regional in Oxford, Mississippi.
“Millennium Radio New Jersey is thrilled to be partnering with Monmouth University to bring Hawks football to the Shore Sports Network,” stated Bill Saurer, President & CEO of Millennium Radio New Jersey. “Monmouth football is a logical compliment to the Shore Sports Network's commitment to deliver extensive local coverage of the Monmouth-Ocean sports scene. We are excited that shore football fans will now be able to follow the Hawks on Fox Sports 1310 and 1160 WOBM AM all season long.”
The Shore Sports Network is a group of Millennium Radio New Jersey stations that as part of their programming broadcast local sports. This includes High School Football and Basketball, Lakewood BlueClaws Minor League Baseball and specialized shows such as The Shore Sports Report and The AutoLenders High School Football Show. Most of this programming airs as a full simulcast on Fox Sports 1310 and 1160 WOBM AM and beginning this Fall the Friday Night Football broadcasts will also be carried on 105.7 The Hawk. Games are also streamed live at www.shoresportsnetwork.com. Kevin Williams is the Director of the Shore Sports Network, which is part of Millennium Radio New Jersey, owners and operators of 11 radio stations in the state.
