The roots of Brent Hesse’s competitiveness and his love for sports are obvious. “I am the oldest of five boys, he reminisces. “We have our own basketball team, and played every sport imaginable in the driveway or backyard growing up!”
Now, in addition to playing sports, Hesse is broadcasting them. He is joining KCHI Radio in Chillicothe, MO as Sports Director and Afternoon Host — a position that includes plenty of play-by-play.
“The job at KCHI began thanks to checking the STAA job listings and applying from there,” Hesse recalls. “I had a Zoom interview and then made the seven hour drive the following week for an in person interview. I was offered the job shortly after that.
Valuable opportunities
Hesse moves west to Chillicothe after five years at WOCC AM/FM in Corydon, IN. “At WOCC I was only part-time on a day-to-day basis as the mid-day on air talent. Now I am full-time as the afternoon host [at KCHI]. Plus I was only calling basketball and football games. Now, along with basketball and football, I will get to try my hand at baseball, softball and soccer.”
One key to Hesse earning the Chillicothe opportunity was making clear that he wants to be there. “Being from out of town, you have to prove that it is worth the risk to make the hire. I am a superfan of the KC Chiefs and have visited that city quite often in recent years. I have friends that live there and it was a draw that Chillicothe is only about 1.25 hours away. I made that known right away when meeting with [KCHI GM Patti Leatherman]. I think that gave her confidence that I would be able to fit in and be happy in a new town.”
Hesse’s candidacy was further boosted by several strong referrals. “The people that I asked to give me recommendations for this job are individuals that have not only been great colleagues and mentors, but are friends. They want to see me succeed and gave honest, detailed and personalized responses for why I am the right candidate for the job.”
Helpful recommendation
Speaking of recommendations, it was upon one from a fellow Ball State University alumnus that Hesse joined STAA this year. “In trying to figure out what I wanted to do as my next step in my career, and in how to get there, I reached out to Mick Tidrow who is a fellow 2018 graduate of Ball State University, and now the voice of the Cardinals! He is a fantastic broadcaster and he clued me in to STAA as a place to go for new job openings and also as a place to improve my craft.
“I joined because I was serious enough about giving my all to advance in this competitive job market. I felt with the tools, resources and connections that STAA provides, it was worth the investment.”
Hesse’s career motivation is similar to the drive that fueled him in the family driveway basketball games. “I don’t like to lose, so I won’t take it easy on anyone be