Roger Hoover is a versatile play-by-play broadcaster on television and radio for collegiate and professional sports.
Hoover currently works in a full-time role for Crimson Tide Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College. This role has included hosting pregame and postgame shows for Alabama football across a nearly 100-station network spread out over seven states. He spent the first half of the 2019-20 season serving as the men’s basketball fill-in play-by-play broadcaster, and this season marks his seventh as the radio voice of Alabama women’s basketball. He has continued working on the men’s basketball broadcast as the host of the broadcast and sideline reporter. Hoover also hosts the Hey Coach radio show during basketball season, and is a co-host for the “Tide TV This Week” television show that covers Alabama athletics. His full-time role with CTSN includes being the Social Content Manager for the network, hosting unique content on all CTSN social media platforms.
Hoover also provides play-by-play for SEC Network+ and ACC Network Extra broadcasts of basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, gymnastics, and soccer, with all games available to watch on the ESPN app. He also provided play-by-play for the 2017-2020 SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament Final for the SEC Radio Network on SiriusXM Radio.
Hoover spent eight seasons as the Director of Broadcasting and radio/television play-by-play announcer for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (previously Suns). The 2019 season marked his 12th year broadcasting professional baseball, and he was named the 2018 Southern League Radio Broadcaster of the Year.
Hoover’s experience in baseball also includes calling play-by-play for select Miami Marlins major league spring training games for the past five seasons, in broadcasts produced by the Marlins Radio Network for MLB.com and the MLB At-Bat app.
Hoover spent 11 seasons broadcasting baseball in the Southern League, starting as a broadcast assistant with the Tennessee Smokies in 2009 for three seasons before joining Jacksonville. In his Southern League time he provided play-by-play in four Southern League Championship Series and was part of radio coverage for three Southern League All-Star Games and two editions of the Rickwood Classic in Birmingham, Ala. Hoover began broadcasting professional baseball for his hometown Kingsport (Tenn.) Mets of the Appalachian League in 2008.
Hoover graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2010 and worked at his alma mater as a broadcaster and reporter for numerous Volunteer sports since his broadcasting career began with the Vol Network in 2006. He previously provided play-by-play for Maryville College football and basketball (2010-12), Carson-Newman University basketball (2012-14), before starting his role with Alabama in 2014.
In addition to his play-by-play work, Hoover hosts “The Roger Hoover Podcast” which features interviews with newsworthy figures in sports, entertainment, and media. Notable guests include: Derek Jeter, Todd Helton, Derrick Henry, Jack McKeon, and Marcus Dupree. He and Florida’s Kyle Crooks also host “Broadcaster Hour” each week, interviewing the top play-by-play broadcasters in the industry. Notable guests include: Adam Amin, Joe Davis, Ian Eagle, Jon “Boog” Sciambi, and Kevin Burkhardt.
Hoover and his wife Lanzi reside in Mountain Brook, Alabama.
