Woody Durham retired Wednesday after four decades as the 'Voice of the Tar Heels,' saying "I'm retiring from the games. I'm not retiring from Carolina."



Durham has called play-by-play on more than 1,800 football and men’s basketball broadcasts on the Tar Heel Sports Network since 1971.

Durham has been behind the mic for 23 UNC football bowl games, 13 of the Tar Heels' 18 Final Fours, as well as four national championships (1982, 1993, 2005 and 2009).

His broadcast career spanned the collegiate playing days of football players such as Paul Miller, Mike Voight, Amos Lawrence, Kelvin Bryant, Lawrence Taylor, Harris Barton, Natrone Means, Jason Stanicek, Leon Johnson, Greg Ellis, Dre’ Bly, Julius Peppers, Darian Durant, Hakeem Nicks and T.J. Yates. In basketball, Durham called games for 26 different Tar Heels whose jerseys hang in the Smith Center rafters, including National Players of theYear Phil Ford, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Kenny Smith, Jerry Stackhouse, Antawn Jamison, Sean May and Tyler Hansbrough.

Durham broadcast Carolina football and basketball games with numerous color analysts and sideline reporters, including Jones Angell, Phil Ford, Stephen Gates, Jerod Haase, Jim Heavner, Henry Hinton, Bob Holliday, Charlie Justice, Freddie Kiger, Lee Kinard, Ken Mack, Draggan Mihailovich, Mick Mixon, Eric Montross, Lee Pace, Bob Quincy and Rick Steinbacher.

In 1981, Durham was named vice president and executive sports director at Tar Heel Sports Marketing and has been named North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year twelve times, most recently in 2006.

On May 19, 2005, he was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, commemorating North Carolinians who have made significant contributions to the sports world.

Durham was born August 8, 1941, in Mebane and grew up in Albemarle. He began his broadcasting career at age 16 at WZKY radio, later graduating from UNC in 1963 with an AB degree in radio, television and motion picture.