Ian Eagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ian Eagle
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Eagle in 2021
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| Born | February 9, 1969 |
| Other names | "Bird" |
| Alma mater | Syracuse University |
| Occupation | Sports announcer/commentator |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse(s) | Alisa Eagle |
| Children | 2 including Noah |
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Ian Eagle, born on February 9, 1969, is a famous American sports announcer. He is known for calling exciting games. You can hear his voice during NBA, NFL, and college basketball games. He works for channels like CBS, TNT, and TBS. He also announces Brooklyn Nets games on the YES Network. Plus, he covers French Open tennis for Tennis Channel.
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Early Life and School Days
Ian Eagle was born in Miami, Florida. His parents, Jack Eagle and Monica Maris, were both entertainers. His dad, Jack, was a comedian and actor. He was famous for commercials in the 1970s. Ian's mom, Monica, was a singer.
Ian went to Syracuse University. He studied at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. He graduated in 1990.
Becoming a Sports Announcer
Starting His Career
While at Syracuse University, Ian joined the student radio station, WJPZ. He started by announcing women's basketball games. Later, he got to call bigger games for the Syracuse Orange team. He also worked at the campus TV station, UUTV. This helped him get experience on camera.
After graduating in 1990, Ian began working for WFAN Radio in New York City. He started as a producer. In 1992, he got his own show called "Bagels and Baseball." He also started doing pre-game and post-game shows for the Jets football team.
In 1994, Ian became a radio announcer for the Nets basketball team. A year later, he moved to TV. He announced Nets games for SportsChannel. This channel later became Fox Sports Net New York. In 1997, WFAN made him the main announcer for Jets games.
Calling Games on TV and Radio
Ian joined CBS in 1998. He started announcing NFL football and NCAA college basketball games. He still does these jobs today. In 2010, he teamed up with Dan Fouts to announce NFL games for CBS. They became the second main team for CBS's NFL coverage in 2014.
Later, Ian started working with Charles Davis for NFL games. They often call one of the Wild Card playoff games for CBS. Ian has also announced boxing and tennis tournaments for CBS. He even covered the NCAA Track and Field Championships.
Before joining the YES Network in 2002, Ian announced Nets games on other channels. These included MSG Network and Fox Sports Net New York. When famous announcer Marv Albert joined YES, they shared the Nets games. Ian became the main Nets announcer again in 2011.
Ian has also called NBA playoff games for TNT. He often works with his YES colleague Mike Fratello. He also announces Thursday Night Football games on Westwood One radio. Ian sometimes fills in as a talk show host on his old station, WFAN.
He is also the voice for NBA Action, a weekly show about basketball highlights. In 2013, he called the international broadcasts of the 2013 NBA Finals. He worked with Jim Spanarkel, his partner for Nets games.
In 2019, TNT announced that Ian would be one of the main announcers for their Tuesday Night NBA games. He works with either Stan Van Gundy or Jim Jackson.
In 2022, it was announced that Ian Eagle would become the lead announcer for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. He will start this role in 2024.
Ian pronounces his first name "EYE-un." This is different from the more common "EE-an." He has said that people often called him "Iron Eagle" after the movie Iron Eagle came out.
Other Announcing Roles
- Announces French Open tennis for Tennis Channel.
- Provided commentary for Masters Online golf coverage.
- Was the voice of the announcer for NBA 07, 08, and 09 video games on PSP.
- Announces NBA playoff games for NBA TV.
- Called games for Westwood One radio at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
- Hosts NBA Action, a weekly show about NBA highlights.
- Announces preseason New York Jets games on WCBS-TV in New York.
- Was the host of Nets Magazine, a show about the New Jersey Nets.
- Does voiceovers for commercials.
- Is a commentator and playable character in the video game NBA Playgrounds.
Personal Life
Ian Eagle lives in Essex Fells, New Jersey, with his wife, Alisa. They have two children, Noah and Erin. Their son, Noah, also went to Syracuse University. He is also a play-by-play announcer. Noah calls college football and basketball games for NBC. He also announces for the Brooklyn Nets on YES Network. He has even called NFL games for NBC and Nickelodeon.
Awards
- Bob Costas Award for Outstanding Sportscasting (while at Syracuse)
- New York Sports Emmy Award: On Camera Talent: Sports Play by Play (2002, 2013, 2016, 2017)
- WAER Wall of Fame (2013)
- The Big Lead Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year (2020)
- National Sports Media Association Sportscaster of the Year (2022)
