(September 13, 2017) Dan Hasty might be having the best year of his career. First, he earned a Michigan Association of Broadcasters Broadcast Excellence Award. Then it was the Midwest League Broadcaster of the Year Award for his work with minor league baseball’s West Michigan Whitecaps. Now Hasty has been hired as play-by-play voice for men’s and women’s basketball at Saginaw Valley State University.
The SVSU opportunity arose when Hasty began planning his baseball offseason. “I had been talking to a few other teams about joining their broadcasts when I decided to reach out to SVSU,” he says. “I had filled in for them at different points during the last two seasons, and really enjoyed working with their staff. They then told me they had an opening as the lead voice for men’s and women’s basketball.
“I assume my two years of fill-in responsibilities served as my official interview,” Hasty smiles.
SVSU offers the opportunity for Hasty to continuing building his resume and developing his craft. “I had done high school basketball last year. To get the bump up to NCAA hoops so quickly is encouraging.”
SVSU basketball fits neatly into Hasty’s baseball schedule as he prepares for his fourth season with Western Michigan. “A few of my mentors suggested that college hoops was the ideal fit with a baseball schedule, and it makes a world of sense,” Hasty says.
Hasty is in his 10th season of sportscasting since graduating from Central Michigan University. In that time, he’s developed a reputation for treating people kindly. “90% of life’s hardships can be avoided by simply treating people well, and it will open doors for you along the way,” he advises. “Some of the best opportunities I ever received were because I was willing to fill-in — sometimes for nothing more than the experience itself.”
In addition to the SVSU gig, Hasty will continue broadcasting high school football and basketball in Grand Rapids. He’s also assisting Pro Football Focus as an analyst and occasionally filling-in on local sports talk shows.
“I’m very grateful to SVSU for allowing me the opportunity and can’t wait to get things rolling.”