Q&A: Harrison grad Brandon Gaudin talks homecoming, broadcasting, Madden and more

From the moment he had the initiative to write a letter to then-Atlanta Braves broadcaster Skip Caray for advice as a youngster, Brandon Gaudin was destined to follow in his hero’s footsteps.

"I recently dug it up in a box of keepsakes my parents have in my bedroom in their home," Gaudin said. "I took a screenshot of my letter to him and his reply to keep on my phone. The first line of the letter says, 'I am a 13-year-old Braves from up north in Evansville, Indiana...'"

Gaudin checked his mailbox every day for a reply.

"Needless to say, I was on cloud nine when a 'Turner Broadcasting' envelope appeared a few weeks later," he said.

His parents moved from Evansville in 2003 to Fort Worth, Texas after Gaudin graduated from Harrison High School in '02.

Anything but an overnight success, Gaudin worked his whole life to get where he is. His work ethic is virtually unparalleled.

Gaudin, who will broadcast the NCAA Division II Elite Eight championship game on Saturday at Ford Center on Westwood One radio, also works for FOX/Big Ten Network and Madden.

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"My main job is for FOX/BTN," said Gaudin, 38. "They are TV partners so I broadcast games for both entities, but it's really under one umbrella. I broadcast a college football package on BTN. Then on some weekends I double up and do NFL games for FOX as needed. For college hoops I split my time between BTN and FOX for the Big Ten and Big East, culminating with the Big Ten Tournament in Indy last week. For baseball, last year was my first in the MLB rotation for FOX as well, which was a blast."

For Madden, it's almost more like an acting gig than it is play-by-play announcing. He and his partner Charles Davis are starting their seventh year together on the game.

"It's an opportunity that popped up out of the blue back in 2015 via a random LinkedIn message," he said. "It's been such a fun and rewarding experience."

The only radio he does anymore is for Westwood One. He broadcasts the NCAA tournament along with a few NFL games.

"The executive producer knows I'm an Evansville guy so he has been kind to offer the D-II final since Evansville started hosting," he said. "I love the event but the cool part is coming home to see old friends ... and eating Donut Bank and Turoni's, of course."

Two of his favorite high school sports memories involved his brothers. Brett booted a 28-yard field goal in the waning seconds, lifting Harrison past Indianapolis Ben Davis 11-8 in the 1998 football season opener. Bryan’s 35-yard laser beam on a free kick helped beat Memorial 2-0 in soccer his senior year. They went on to become walk-on kickers at Indiana and Purdue, respectively. Also, a kicker in high school, Brandon went to Butler strictly as a student.

Following is a Q-and-A with Gaudin. It has been edited for length and clarity.

C&P: What will it be like when you return to the Ford Center, broadcasting the D2 Elite Eight?

Gaudin: This will actually be my third time working the event as the play-by-play announcer on the national radio broadcast for Westwood One. I broadcasted D2 in Evansville back in 2017 and again last year. We don't cover the Elite Eight, just the final game.

Outside of those two occurrences, the only other time I've been at the Ford Center was ironically the very first official game in the building back in the fall of 2011. I was in my second season as Butler basketball's radio announcer (after three seasons as UE's announcer). As fate would have it, Butler played at UE to open the building. Evansville pulled off the upset in a game that included a thrilling, controversial ending. I think it was 80-77 in overtime. Butler had just come off their consecutive runs to the national championship.

C&P: What NCAA Division I tournament games are you broadcasting?

Gaudin: So we had four games (last Thursday in Indianapolis), including the thrilling ending to St. Peter's beating Kentucky and the wild OT finish where Murray State beat San Francisco. It was quite a day.

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C&P: What were your thoughts when John Madden died? As the voice of Madden video game series, did you ever get to meet him?

Gaudin: Unfortunately my Madden broadcast partner (Charles Davis) and I never had the pleasure of meeting him. He lived out in the Bay Area and rarely ever came east since we started voicing the game back in 2016. The Madden producers we work used to go out there every year to show John the game each year before submitting it for final production. He gave the final blessing and, I'm told, was vocal if he didn't like something that was being implemented. I think most people assume he just cashed a big check (which, he did), but he also took a lot of pride in the Madden/EA collaboration.

To me, John Madden was a titan in the broadcasting industry. Many people in the broadcasting industry and the sports world, in general, owe him a debt of gratitude. Myself included. He had a unique ability to be 110% himself, and it worked. To me, it's a lesson to others who step in the booth today and in the future: be you.

C&P: I understand you really did tape yourself as you practiced broadcasting games as a kid – what games did you broadcast/practice on?

Gaudin: Yes, I started practicing broadcasting as a 7-year-old kid at our childhood home on Park Plaza Drive on the East Side. Back then, there weren't as many games on TV as there are now. You could watch the Cubs on WGN in the afternoon or the Braves on TBS in the evenings. I fell in love with the Braves when they went from worst to first in 1991 and made the World Series. My uncle actually lived in Atlanta (my mom's brother) and our family went down to see game 5 of the 1991 World Series -- Braves vs Twins. When I walked into Fulton County Stadium that night, I was hooked. The Braves won 14-5. I was 7, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I can still see Mark Lemke's bases-clearing triple off the right-centerfield wall as clear as day.

From that season on, I watched virtually every Braves game on TV. I started to become drawn the announcers and the art of broadcasting through their Play-by-Play announcer Skip Caray (Harry's son). Every day after I got home from Hebron, I would broadcast make-believe games in the foyer of our home. I used the cardboard insert from the inside of a paper towel roll as my bat and a wadded-up balloon wrapped in tape as my ball. I would play the Braves schedule, throwing the ball up to myself and hitting it. I would run the bases, keep score and announce the games. When basketball season came, I did the same on my Little Tikes hoop I had set up in my parent's bedroom. I would play the full Purple Aces schedule and the entire NCAA Tournament and announced the games as I went along.

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As I get a few years older I would take a tape recorder with me to the Harrison soccer games. I always hung out on the sideline when my dad coached. I would interview the players and assistant coaches after games. I didn't really get my first true on-air experience until eighth grade. I talked Dan Egierski into letting me give some halftime stats updates during a few local high school basketball games. Dan was gracious enough to let me do it.

The first actual play-by-play announcing I did was for WPSR 90.7 FM in Evansville. It was an EVSC student-run station located at Central High School. I asked the manager of the station if I could broadcast some Harrison baseball games on their air. He said as long as I handled all the logistics, he would make the airtime available. So, I did that my junior and senior years at Harrison and that really helped foster my love for broadcasting. After getting those on-air reps, it helped solidify me wanting to pursue this in college and beyond.

C&P: Who was your favorite interview and why?

Gaudin: Mike Tomlin stands out. I had Denver at Pittsburgh this past year for FOX and really enjoyed visiting with him. He was as engaging and insightful as any coach I've visited with. He was fun on a personal level, sharing stories and chatting, but he was also tremendous professionally, giving us great insights and nuggets for the broadcast. He went above and beyond. I also would be remiss not to mention Brad Stevens. Brad is as authentic and wonderful as they come. He's as advertised. He was the head coach the three years that I announced Butler basketball games so we spent quite a bit of time together. A lot of interviews as well. I learned a lot from him and am lucky to still count him as a friend.

One funny story about Brad relating to Evansville. When Butler played at UE in 2011 (the game I reference above to open up the Ford Center), we bussed down from Indianapolis. After the game on these road trips, there is always a meal awaiting the team on the bus. There is someone in charge of picking a local restaurant and giving the menu out beforehand to the team/staff and placing the orders. For that game, they knew I was an Evansville guy so I got to pick the post-game meal. I picked my favorite: Turoni's. Well after the crushing defeat, the mood on the bus was somber. I was sitting in the seat across the aisle from Brad. He boarded the bus last and his pizza was on his seat. I don't remember what he ordered, but it was not what was in the box. He looked at me and said "Gaudin, your city sucks! They screwed us in that game and now they screwed up my pizza!" He was 100% joking and smiled after he said it. He's too nice to even fake being mad. Plus, I'd never let anyone bash Turoni's. Even Brad Stevens.

C&P: What was your most memorable game to broadcast?

Gaudin: I'll say this, the Saint Peter's upset of Kentucky ranks up there. That was certainly the biggest upset I've broadcasted in my career. Loyola Chicago defeating Kansas State to clinch a spot in the Final Four back in 2019 was pretty special. The game was good, not great, but the magnitude and historical context of that game really resonated. Being the radio voice at my alma mater Butler when they beat Florida in the Elite Eight in 2011 to return to the Final Four was the most excited I've ever been because it was so unique. I had such a bond to the school and got to see that magical run from the inside. I was with them at every team meal, on the bus and plane, sitting with the coaches as they prepped and game planned into the wee hours of the night. Some pretty special memories for sure.

C&P: Why have you been able to move up the ranks, all the way to the NFL, etc.?

Gaudin: I don't know. Sure, I've put in work and stuck with it, but I am also not naive enough to ignore that 1) you have to catch a break or two along the way and 2) I've had a tremendous support system. I came from a stable home with two loving parents and the three best siblings anyone could ever asked for. I was lucky. I am lucky. Nobody ever told me "I couldn't." They just encouraged and pushed me along the way. I try to never take that for granted.

Contact Gordon Engelhardt by email at gordon.engelhardt@courierpress.com and follow him on Twitter @EngGordon.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Brandon Gaudin talks broadcasting 2022 NCAA Tournament, Madden, more