The voice of the Wyoming Cowboys is stepping down.
After 38 years, Dave Walsh’s familiar voice will no longer be heard on Saturday afternoons describing Wyoming Cowboy football games.
The University of Wyoming announced Walsh’s retirement on Friday morning.
Walsh, a columnist at Cowboy State Daily, said he struggled with the decision but in the end, he knew it was appropriate to “hang ‘em up.”
“It was just time,” Walsh said, “I don’t know if that makes sense but that’s the only way I can put it. It was just time to move on.”
Walsh was also the voice of Wyoming Cowboys basketball up until 2020. The last two years, he focused solely on football.
University of Wyoming Athletic Director Tom Burman said on-field announcer Reece Monaco will take Walsh’s place in the booth..
“Seeing Dave step away completely is difficult for someone like me who grew up listening to Dave tell the great stories of Wyoming football and basketball,” Burman said.
Walsh took over for the legendary sportscaster Larry Birleffi in 1985. Birleffi was the “voice of the Wyoming Cowboys” beginning in 1947.
Making the decision to retire was tough, Walsh said, adding he knows he’ll miss the broadcast on fall afternoons.
“There’s nothing like calling a Cowboys game,” he said. “This is the best job in America. I’ve always said that.”
Walsh, who coined the phrase ‘The score, oh, the score!’ after a Wyoming win, said he will miss working with his broadcast crew, including longtime friend and color analyst Kevin McKinney.
As for his favorite moments, Walsh said they were hard to identify, but he did mention the nationally broadcast 2004 Las Vegas Bowl, when the University of Wyoming upset UCLA in the last seconds by a score of 24-21.
What’s next for Walsh?
He said he will continue to write columns for Cowboy State Daily and spend more time “doing whatever he wants.”
“I love writing these weekly columns for Cowboy State Daily and it’s a great venue for me to reminisce and discuss these wonderful 38 years,” he said. “It turns out, I really like writing.”
