BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech Athletics and LEARFIELD, the Hokies’ multimedia rights partner, announced the addition of Zach Mackey as the broadcaster’s director on Tuesday. In this role, Mackey will be the voice of the ACC Champion Virginia Tech men’s basketball program and will also make an impact on Hokie sports through various media projects such as podcasts, feature stories and emceee events. In addition, he will serve as a sideline reporter for Virginia Tech Football broadcasts.
“We are very fortunate to have Zach join our Virginia Tech family,” said Bill Roth, voice of Virginia Tech Football. “He is an incredibly talented play-by-play broadcaster and host who has excelled on the air for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Montana State Bobcats and Big Ten Network. Zach’s background, personality and experience make him a perfect fit for our revamped Virginia Tech broadcast team.”
Mackey joins Hokie Nation after a three-year stint in Bozeman, Montana, where he was the radio talent for Montana State’s football and men’s basketball programs. While with the Bobcats, Mackey hosted a weekly podcast featuring guests from the Bobcats athletic division and hosted coaching shows for both football and men’s basketball on television and radio platforms.
This past season, Mackey gained extensive postseason experience as the football program reached the FCS Championship game and on the hardwoods, the Bobcats won the Big Sky Tournament and entered the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1986.
“I want to thank Athletics, LEARFIELD, Bill and everyone involved in this exciting new opportunity. I’m excited to meet the Virginia Tech community and join the family of one of the top universities in the country,” Mackey said. “I’ve long admired the success of Virginia Tech athletics and can’t wait to get involved to get caught up in the momentum around the department. I love being able to share Virginia Tech’s stories and great moments with fans.”
A graduate of the University of Iowa, Mackey has also been the voice of the Hawkeye baseball program since 2015. He has also had the opportunity to host pre- and post-game shows for the Iowa soccer team and fill in and make calls for the Hawkeyes basketball programs.
Mackey has also spent time calling games for the Big Ten Network.
In his broadcasting career, Mackey has earned several accolades, most recently collecting the National Sports Media Association Montana Sportscaster of the Year in 2022 and previously being named Jim Nantz All-America on the STAA’s Undergrad program for three consecutive years.
“Zach is an award-winning announcer who has done exceptional work early in his broadcasting career. We are thrilled and proud to have him join our local Virginia Tech LEARFIELD team and become an integral member of the Hokies broadcast team,” said Kyler Pilling, general manager of Virginia Tech Sports Properties.
