After 18 years as the Warriors’ public-address announcer, Matt Hurwitz and the team have parted ways.

Hurwitz, 47, was informed recently that Golden State is making several changes to its in-game operations and has opted to go in a different direction with its PA announcer. It was emphasized to Hurwitz that the team’s decision was in no way a reflection of his performance.

“It was amicable,” Hurwitz said in a phone interview. “There were no hard feelings. Obviously, it was a bit of a surprise and disappointing news to hear, but I totally understand that these things happen with sports and with roles like myself. I’m obviously grateful for the experience that I had with them.”

Hurwitz got his start in PA announcing when his track coach at San Diego State asked him to announce one of their meets. After graduating from SDSU with a degree in speech communication, he moved back to his hometown of San Francisco and got a job doing PA work for Cal athletics.

Since then, Hurwitz has become a staple at Bay Area sporting events, including calling games for the Earthquakes and Sharks.

Over the past 22 years, Hurwitz has been the voice of Menlo College sports. He also is a regular at San Francisco State basketball and volleyball games. In addition to his PA-announcing gigs, Hurwitz has worked in production with local TV crews.

Perhaps no job has been more memorable, however, than his role with the Warriors.

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Three years after subbing for a game, he was hired in December 2000 as Golden State’s primary PA announcer. For nearly two decades, Hurwitz had a courtside seat for the franchise’s evolution from perennial doormat to back-to-back NBA champion.

Unlike other PA announcers who serve essentially as another cheerleader, Hurwitz preferred to stick to basics. He avoided announcing his name and got excited only when the moment called for it.

“At the end of the day, people don’t buy a ticket or come to the arena to know who I am,” Hurwitz said. “So, I’ve always kind of felt uncomfortable with the additional attention that might come with saying my name or being loud, over the top. I feel like my role is basically to inform, educate, and to some extent, entertain. I’m basically an extension of the crowd.”

In addition to hiring a PA announcer for next season, the Warriors plan to start a dance team consisting of senior citizens. The Junior Jam Squad will work more closely with Golden State’s main dance team.

“Matt did an outstanding job during his long tenure as our PA announcer, and we thank him for his dedication and hard work for close to two decades,” Raymond Ridder, the Warriors’ vice president of communications, said in a statement.

“We’ve simply elected to go in a new direction and hit the reset button with some of our in-game programming. We’ll begin the process of finding a new PA announcer immediately.”

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron