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Johnny Holliday Named 2020 Maryland Sportscaster of the Year

By Maryland Athletics Staff

“Voice of the Maryland Terrapins” Johnny Holliday was named the 2020 Maryland Sportscaster of the Year, the National Sports Media Association announced today.

Holliday, who also earned the honor in 2014 and 2018, is in his 42nd season as the beloved play-by-play voice of the University of Maryland's football and men's basketball teams.

The Miami native began his radio career as a disc jockey, working in top markets such as New York, Cleveland and San Francisco and being named America’s No. 1 DJ. He also served as the public address announcer for the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco Warriors and Washington Bullets.

Moving to Washington in 1969, Holliday hosted the Washington Senators pregame show with Ted Williams while covering all of the D.C.-area teams. In 1979, he began broadcasting Maryland football and basketball games, and at age 83, he has now called more than 1,800 Terps games.

Holliday also spent 12 years as a television pregame/postgame host and occasional fill-in play-by-play announcer for the Washington Nationals on MASN. In March 2019, he added the role of sportscaster at NBC Washington (WRC-TV).

Among Holliday’s many other awards and honors are:

  • Induction into the Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame
  • Induction into the Radio Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame
  • Chris Schenkel Award from the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame
  • Skeeter Francis Award for contributions to coverage of the Atlantic Coast Conference
  • CYO’s Cardinal Hickey National Figure of the Year
  • Named one of Dick Vitale’s Top 15 play-by-play announcers in the country
  • American Diabetes Foundation Father of the Year
  • Woody Durham Voice of College Sports Award by the National Sports Media Association

In addition, Holliday has hosted a charity golf tournament for the last 15 years that has raised more than $1.5 million to send students to a five-week, character-building camp each summer.

Holliday has been married to his wife, Mary Clare, for more than 60 years. They have three daughters and 11 grandchildren.

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