The voice can be a powerful tool… and that’s exactly what 1987 alum Bob Kennedy used to create a legendary career behind microphones across Central Ohio.

Prior to his 30-year run as a notable public address announcer and radio personality, Bob first made his mark as a college student at Otterbein. The speech communication major served as WOBN Sports Director for multiple years and, in 1985, helped the radio team first establish broadcasts of men’s basketball games.

Kennedy officially came aboard to serve as Otterbein’s main PA announcer for football and both basketball programs in 1990. During his first year, the men’s basketball team went 30-3 overall and made the NCAA Division III Final Four.

Featuring a unique voice that carried with ease, Bob was later presented with an opportunity (in 2000) to become the primary PA announcer for Ohio State football. That role soon led to additional duties behind the mic for Buckeye soccer, hockey, baseball and field hockey while serving as a backup for some basketball games.

Over 23 years, “BK” evolved into a memorable voice that enhanced the gameday experience for more than 100,000 fans at Ohio Stadium. If that weren’t enough, his talents were then also recruited to serve as PA announcer for the Triple A Columbus Clippers baseball organization just a stones throw away.

But, no matter how many spotlight gigs he took on, Bob always remained grounded and dedicated to where his path began… Otterbein. He was a constant gameday contributor for the Cardinals across 30-plus years from 1990-2022, announcing countless games that included multiple NCAA Regionals during the men’s basketball national championship run in 2002.

In 2020, as Otterbein was scrambling to help cover overlapping events during a global pandemic, Bob jumped in to handle PA duties for the nationally-ranked women’s volleyball program. His final match (without knowing at the time) would be the 2022 OAC Tournament Championship where the Cardinals steamrolled John Carroll in straight sets.

Kennedy also held multiple part-time jobs in local radio. He handled morning traffic/news for ABC6/FOX28, 610 WTVN, Sunny 95, iHeartMedia Inc. and the Salem Media Group, also doing play-by-play broadcasts with the latter. For the last six years of his career, he was a midday personality known as “Bob Allen” at WDLR Radio in Delaware.

More than anything, Bob was passionate about paying it forward and helping the next generation. He jumped at chances to work charity events around town for coworkers that became friends, and always made time to speak with the next wave of Otterbein broadcasting students looking to break into the industry.

Bob passed away in the spring of 2023 at the age of 58, but his legacy remains firmly intact for all those he encountered.