07/14/2026
Incredibly sad news to share...
Joe Smith has passed on, and the voice so synonymous with Monroe County sports will live only in the memories of coaches, athletes, and listeners who treasured his company on so many Monroe County Fridays and Saturdays each fall and winter.
Many Bloomingtonians cannot recall a fall without Joe's singular calls of South, North, and Edgewood football games, and IU fans around the globe came to recognize and adore Joe's singular contributions to Hoosier football and basketball broadcasts.
I knew of Joe when I came to work for Sarkes Tarzian Radio almost four years ago, but it did not take me long to get to know Joe as a rare radio professional.
His sportscasts always celebrated local coaches and players, and often featured interviews with them. I'm not sure how he put his sportscasts together as Joe did not enjoy computers or software that makes editing audio "easy." As with everything, Joe did it his way, and still somehow found a use for cart machines - a radio technology that lapsed 30 years ago.
When Joe did play-by-play for high school football or basketball games, he was always exceptionally well prepared and ready to deliver his best for the players, coaches, fans, and families who listened live - or to recordings.
Joe touched people in the way great broadcasters do - by being there again and again and again. For almost 60 years Joe answered the bell in Bloomington, and never once cheated his listeners. He was a miracle of consistent professionalism and boundless joy. He never took being on the radio for granted, and embraced every opportunity to bring listeners into an event through his energy and precise description of every play.
This is an incredibly sad day for Sarkes Tarzian Radio - the company where Joe spent the vast majority of his long career. But, today is also a day to remember what he taught us through everything he did - everything we do is worth doing well, and maybe someone is listening to us for the very first time and what a shame it would be if that was not at our very best.
Joe will be missed, but his example will serve us forever.
