By: Cannon Dees '20

If you have tuned in to a Yellow Jacket athletic broadcast, you have probably heard the vivid and lively commentary that goes along with it. That voice is thanks to no other than Strongsville native Brendan Gulick, also known as the "Voice of the Yellow Jackets."

At Baldwin Wallace University since 2014, Gulick has since been the main man when it comes to broadcasting. You may have seen him while watching a season preview of your favorite team or interviewing our latest Academic All-Americans. Either way, you most likely have heard him while watching your favorite Yellow Jacket athletic teams.

Gulick began his broadcasting career in 2007 as a junior at Saint Ignatius High School. With a hunger for calling Wildcat athletic events and a little help from the faculty, he started what is now known as the Saint Ignatius Broadcasting Network, which has grown into the single largest student-operated high school sports broadcasting outlet in the state of Ohio. He called a variety of events for the Wildcats which founded his passion for broadcasting.

After graduating from John Carroll University in 2013 with a degree in marketing, he immediately began his career in broadcasting at the collegiate level. He has worked with six different schools and a variety of sports and divisions since then, including Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Cincinnati, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, John Carroll University and Baldwin Wallace.

In addition to working for so many schools, Gulick also has broadcasting and media relations experience working in professional sports for class-A baseball teams such as the Rockford Aviators, Dayton Dragons, and the Delmarva Shorebirds. He has also worked with the United Soccer League and National Women's Soccer League Productions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as a television personality. 

Between his experience at the professional, collegiate and high school level, Gulick said he doesn't have a preference or favorite. However, he did go on to say, "I'm very passionate about college athletics. I love the excitement around it. I love the tailgating, the environment and the passion alumni have. It feels a lot more personal in college athletics than it does in professional athletics. Pro teams give a sense of community throughout a region but there's something about a tighter knit group even at an OSU level school with 100,000 fans. There's something about the atmosphere that is so much fun to me. I suppose that has a special place for me."

In the past two years, Gulick has been chosen to be a television analyst for a multitude of NCAA
Division III championships including the Women's Basketball Final Four two years in a row, the Women's Basketball Elite Eight, the Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the Field Hockey Championship. He has also done the same work for a variety of NCAA Division II Championships including men's and women's tennis, softball and field hockey.

Some people would expect that the greatest part of working as a broadcaster would be getting to watch sports for a living or being able to call the next great SportsCenter Top Ten play. However, if you were to ask Gulick what his favorite part is, he would say it's the "ability to connect people and share their stories. It's not just about the game for me, it's about the people playing the game." He went on to add, "I want people to leave the game saying 'Wow, that person volunteers here' or 'That person does this in their free time' and maybe now they follow that team more closely because they can relate with the athletes they're watching." 

This quote is no better exemplified than through Gulick's favorite memory at Baldwin Wallace thus far. Last Spring, the men's lacrosse team brought in Grayson Oglesbee, a young kid who lives with the challenge of Williams Syndrome and hosted a press conference to introduce him to the community as a member of the Yellow Jackets. "I remember walking away from that day thinking 'This is why we do this and this is why athletics matter.' They are really making a difference in this kids life and, in turn, Grayson and his family are enhancing the lives of the players and coaches in our community. That moment will always stand out as a great moment in my time here," he went on to add.

So far, Gulick has enjoyed his time at Baldwin Wallace. "Thank you to the coaches and student-athletes for welcoming me into the program and I have appreciated the way they have been open to having me around. It's made my opportunity here much more fun and I genuinely enjoy covering all the different sports. I'm not an alum but BW has made me feel a part of this community," he said.

Be sure to check out our livestream of athletic events to listen to Brendan Gulick call the live color commentary, which can be found at www.bwyellowjackets.com.