(September 19, 2018) As a native Iowan, Tanner Hoops likes to joke that there’s no weather he hasn’t been bred to handle. Good thing. His next stop is Marquette, MI where he is the new Sports Director at ESPN UP. The average high temperature in Marquette during the winter is 26 degrees.
“There was no way I was going to let some snow and cold keep me from an opportunity like this,” Hoops grins. “In this business, if you aren’t willing to invest in a parka and some snow boots to achieve success, you don’t want it badly enough.”
Hoops learned of the opportunity through an STAA job leads email. His duties will include hosting a daily sports talk show and broadcasting various play-by-play. Hoops is the fifth consecutive STAA member to hold the sports director position in Marquette. He follows Casey Ford, Ryan Mayer, Ryan Myrehn and Blake Froling.
Hoops believes the foundation he built over the past four years he spent at Buena Vista University in Iowa has prepared him well for the opportunity. He was the sports director at the campus radio station all four years, then spent this summer as a broadcasting and media relations intern with the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods summer collegiate baseball league.
“I’ve always felt that I’ve prepared myself very well to be an asset to any organization I joined.”
“Sportscasting is a tough business to break in to. There are a lot of talented guys out there who hold down their jobs for a long time. I’ve always felt like I’ve had the talent to succeed at a high level, I just needed a chance to prove it. [Station GM] Tom Mogush saw something he liked in me and the opportunity to join the ESPN family less than six months after graduating college was too good to pass on.”
Hoops joined STAA in January.
“[STAA Owner] Jon Chelesnik is always helpful and quick to reply when I have questions and the job leads have helped me not only see what’s out there but who’s out there as well. I have and will continue to recommended STAA, I believe it’s a must-have in a business and a society where connections are key. Without STAA, I would not have landed this opportunity.”
Next on Hoops’ agenda is packing his parka and snow boots for the trip to Marquette.
“I believe I will have all the opportunities to continue to grow and develop while working for a first-class and highly-acclaimed organization that has set the standard in the sports media industry for nearly forty years.”
(Visit Tanner’s LinkedIn Page).