Feb. 16, 2007
When Jack Lorri began broadcasting University of Notre Dame men’s basketball games on radio, Richard Nixon was president, the Beatles topped the pop music charts and the Athletic and Convocation Center was brand new.
After 38 years of distinguished service as the voice of Notre Dame basketball, including more than 800 games both home and away, Lorri was honored Thursday night at halftime of the Notre Dame-Providence men’s basketball game at the Joyce Center.
First, he was presented with a framed collage of photos of Lorri in action by the Notre Dame athletics department, along with an interlocking ND shadow box.
Then, he received a Notre Dame monogram blazer, signifying his selection as a recipient of an honorary Notre Dame monogram, as presented by Monogram Club executive director Jim Fraleigh.
When Lorri began describing the action at Irish games, Johnny Dee was the Notre Dame head coach and Austin Carr was the star player. He worked in front of the microphone through the tenures of Digger Phelps, John MacLeod, Matt Doherty and current coach Mike Brey. He described the action of games from the eras of John Shumate and Adrian Dantley through the days of Pat Garrity and Troy Murphy.
Lorri did only home games for the first 14 years while broadcasting for WTRC in Elkhart. Then, he went on to call Irish games for WGN in Chicago, and for the Notre Dame Basketball Network (both for Host Communications and later Notre Dame Sports Properties).
Lorri, who stepped down in May from his slot as Irish radio play-by-play voice, also served as sports director at WSJV-TV in Elkhart beginning in 1967 — and he previously did play by play for University of Kentucky football and basketball for WLAP radio in Lexington from 1961-63. He also served as sports director of the Tribune Radio Network in Chicago.