Dierdorf To Join Brandstatter In Radio Booth For Michigan Football
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - A big change has been announced for University of Michigan play-by-play.
The U-M Athletic Department announced Thursday that college and NFL Hall of Fame player and broadcaster Dan Dierdorf will be joining Jim Brandstatter in the radio booth for University of Michigan football broadcasts on the Michigan IMG Radio Network beginning this fall.
Brandstatter, who has served as the team's color commentator on the flagship radio broadcast for the past 34 years, will handle play-by-play duties, and Dierdorf will provide color commentary for the flagship broadcast of Michigan football gamres, heard on WWJ Newsradio 950.
"Jim and Dan are hall of fame broadcasters and great Michigan men," said Brady Hoke, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach, in a media release. "They will provide a unique perspective to the broadcasting booth that I'm sure our fans will enjoy on football Saturdays, and you can guarantee they will have a keen analysis of Michigan Football on each broadcast."
Brandstatter and Dierdorf were teammates at Michigan during the 1969 and 1970 seasons, with Brandstatter being Dierdorf's backup for those two seasons at the strong tackle position. Brandstatter joined Dierdorf in 2001 as a member of the state of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame this winter.
"I'm so excited to be able to come back to my alma mater and contribute in this manner," said Dierdorf. "This is the only broadcasting job that I would have considered after retiring from the network television. It's a chance to return to the city where Bump (Elliott) gave me an opportunity to play for the greatest program in the world and Bo (Schembechler) made me a man.
"I was always jealous of Jim calling games at Michigan and often said that one of my goals was to come back and call a couple of series with him," added Dierdorf. "To work with one of my best friends, someone that I've known my entire adult life, is really special, and I'm looking forward to getting in the booth with Jim this fall."
Talking live with WWJ's Jackie Paige, along with Brandstatter, Dierdorf joked, "This is the first time I found out I had to work with Brandstatter. I didn't know that!"
He reiterated how pleased he is to be back in Ann Arbor.
"Let me tell you something: For the past four years I've been jealous of Jim and his association with the University of Michigan," Dierdorf said. "I had to go on to the NFL ... I lived in St. Louis Missouri, I played here, I've never had much time go by where at times I'd think, you know, Jim Brandstatter's the luckiest guy I know. And now, I'm just going to try to get a little bit of luck on my side."
Listen to the complete interview: