Local sports broadcasting legend Bobby Curran passed away on Sunday while in hospice care. He was 69.
Curran was the radio broadcast voice for the University of Hawai‘i's men's basketball and football teams for over three decades. In addition to his play-by-play responsibilities, he also hosted the Bobby Curran Show on ESPN Honolulu, a weekday morning sports talk radio show, further establishing himself as one of the prominent voices in the local sports scene.
A native of New York, Curran initially attended college at William & Mary before finishing his studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, graduating with a degree in English. His first radio gig was with KGU in the early 1990s before he transitioned to 1420-AM, also known as ESPN Honolulu, the station where he became a local staple.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Curran took an extended hiatus after undergoing a double lung transplant, returning to host the Bobby Curran Show in July 2023. He retired a year later.
Curran called over 400 University of Hawai‘i football games, as well as four NCAA Tournament runs for the UH men's basketball teams. The six-time National Sports Media Association Hawai‘i Sportscaster of the Year was inducted into the UH Circle of Honor in 2023.
"Bobby Curran was a storyteller and magician behind the microphone," UH Athletics said in a statement released on Sunday. "This New Yorker quickly adapted himself into the local culture and became a fixture on the airwaves for more than three decades. His smooth colorful voice was synonymous with UH football and basketball. He was the voice of more than 400 football broadcasts – the longest announcer streak in program history – and several hundred more basketball games. He called some of the brightest stars and biggest moments in UH history, including a dozen bowl teams and four NCAA Tournament basketball teams.
"Bobby was so much more than just a voice. He was respected by the players and coaches and most importantly, beloved by his listeners, the fans. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Jo and sons Max and Finn, and the entire Curran 'ohana. Mahalo Bobby, may you rest in aloha."
When asked about Curran following the University of Hawai‘i football team's final spring practice on Sunday afternoon, former player and current head coach Timmy Chang said "I'm gonna miss him. I know our Hawaii programs, my Hawai‘i ‘ohana, we're gonna miss him. I know he's always called my games. I remember him and Robert Kekaula being there. It's sad. We lost one of our own today."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
