Football Alum Pat Angerer Joins Hawkeye Radio Team

PHOTO: HAWKEYESPORTS.COM Gary Dolphin welcomes Pat Angerer to the Hawkeye radio booth this fall.

Pat Angerer (09BA) ducked out of Kinnick Stadium early during Iowa's primetime football game against Michigan State last fall to beat traffic and get his young kids to bed. As he drove home to the Quad Cities, Angerer took advantage of the rare opportunity to tune into the longtime Hawkeye radio duo of Gary Dolphin and Ed Podolak (69BBA).

Little did Angerer know that eight months later, he’d be calling that same game. As part of his audition to become the new color analyst for Hawkeye football, the former Iowa and NFL linebacker sat down in the booth with Dolphin for a simulated broadcast. It was a happy coincidence when interviewers queued up the thrilling fourth quarter of that Hawkeye win over the Spartans on the monitors, and Dolphin and Angerer relived the excitement of Cooper DeJean’s decisive punt return.

“That’s when I realized this was going to be a lot of fun,” says Angerer of the audition. “It felt comfortable. It was like sitting there with a friend talking about a football game, which, I mean, if that’s the job, that’s a pretty good job.”

That natural chemistry with Dolphin—plus Angerer’s everyman charisma and deep knowledge of the game—helped convince Hawkeye Sports Properties, the Iowa partner of national media and marketing company Learfield, that he was the right choice to succeed Podolak. Earlier this year Podolak announced he was transitioning out of the booth after 42 years of broadcasting games for his alma mater. Podolak plans to continue to contribute to Hawkeye pregame shows and podcasts.

PHOTO: BRIAN RAY/THE GAZETTE An All-American on the 2009-10 Iowa team that won the Orange Bowl, Pat Angerer now joins Gary Dolphin in the Hawkeye radio booth.

A Bettendorf, Iowa, native, Angerer was an All-American as a senior in 2009 when he helped lead Iowa to an 11-2 season and an Orange Bowl victory. After the bowl game, he proposed to his high school sweetheart and fellow Iowa alum, Mary Beth Porter Angerer (09BA). Indianapolis selected Angerer in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft, and he played four seasons for the Colts before injuries cut his professional career short.

After the NFL, the Angerers settled in their native Quad Cities, where they’re raising three children. Pat currently works as a business development officer for IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union.

“Pat’s passion for Hawkeye football has been evident from the moment he set foot on campus nearly 15 years ago,” says Moon Family Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz. “He was the heartbeat of our team throughout his career, and I am confident that he will do a great job on the air.”

Angerer plans to channel the same passion, enthusiasm, and sense of humor that made him a fan favorite during his playing days into his new radio role. And he’s thankful to be able to lean on Dolphin, who has been the Voice of the Hawkeyes since 1996, for guidance.

“Obviously I’ve known Gary for a long time, and he’s such a pro,” Angerer says. “I could put my dog in the booth with Gary, and he would put together a heck of a show.”