BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech Athletics and LEARFIELD, the Hokies’ multimedia rights partner, announced Tuesday the addition of Zach Mackey to the staff as director of broadcasting. In this role, Mackey will be the voice of the ACC Champion Virginia Tech men’s basketball program and will also impact Hokie sports through various media projects such as podcasts, feature stories and emceeing events. Additionally, he will serve as the sideline reporter for Virginia Tech Football broadcasts.
“We are so fortunate to have Zach join our Virginia Tech family,” said Bill Roth, voice of Virginia Tech Football. “He’s an incredibly talented play-by-play broadcaster and host who has excelled on the air for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Montana State Bobcats and Big Ten Network. Zach’s background, personality, and experience make him a perfect fit for our revamped Virginia Tech broadcast team.”
Mackey joins Hokie Nation after a three-year stint in Bozeman, Montana where he was the radio talent for the Montana State football and men’s basketball programs. While with the Bobcats, Mackey hosted a weekly podcast with guests from the Bobcats’ athletic department and hosted coaches’ shows for both football and men’s basketball on television and radio platforms.
This past season, Mackey got extensive postseason experience as the football program reached the FCS Championship game and on the hardwood, the Bobcats won the Big Sky Tournament and participated in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1986.
“I would like to thank Athletics, LEARFIELD, Bill and everyone involved in this exciting new opportunity. I’m excited to meet the Virginia Tech community and join the family of one of the top universities in the country,” said Mackey. “I’ve long admired the success of Virginia Tech athletics and can’t wait to get involved in the momentum surrounding the department. I’m thrilled about being able to share the stories and great moments of Virginia Tech with fans.”
A University of Iowa graduate, Mackey has also been the voice of the Hawkeye baseball program since 2015. He has also had the opportunity to host pre and postgame shows for the Iowa football team and fill in and call games for the Hawkeyes’ basketball programs.
Mackey has also spent time calling games for the Big Ten Network.
In his broadcasting career, Mackey has earned several accolades, most recently collecting the National Sports Media Association Montana Sportscaster of the Year in 2022 and he previously was named to the STAA’s Jim Nantz All-America program three consecutive years in undergrad.
“Zach is an award-winning broadcaster, who has done exceptional work early in his broadcasting career. We are thrilled and proud for him to join our local Virginia Tech LEARFIELD team and serve as an integral member of the Hokies’ broadcast team,” said Virginia Tech Sports Properties General Manager Kyler Pilling.