Former Arkansas play-by-play broadcaster Mike Nail passes away
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Former Arkansas radio play-by-play announcer Mike Nail, who was the voice of a legendary era of Razorbacks basketball, died on Saturday at the age of 80.
For those fans who experienced the glory of the Nolan Richardson era in Fayetteville, Nail’s descriptions are synonymous with those incredible Hogs teams. Included during Nail’s nearly 30-year run was Arkansas’s national championship in 1994 as well as Final Four appearances in 1990 and 1995.
Those relentless Razorback teams captured the imagination of a passionate fan base, and Nail was the radio voice behind all of those victories. During Nail’s glorious run, Arkansas won 11 regular-season or tournament titles in both the old Southwest Conference and later the SEC.
The official social media account of the Razorbacks paid tribute to Nail with this post on Sunday:
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Nail died at his home in Fayetteville after recently being placed in hospice care following his battle with cancer.
For 29 years, Nail provided the radio calls for Arkansas basketball until he retired at the end of the 2009-10 season.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
