John H Ward (April 22, 1930 – June 20, 2018) was an American sportscaster, best known as the radio play-by-play broadcaster for the University of Tennessee (UT), primarily from 1965 until 1999, and known to fans as the "Voice of the Vols".
His father, Herschel, was principal at the Tennessee School for the Deaf, and interpreted radio broadcasts of Vols football games for students.
The season was successful for coach Doug Dickey (8-2-1) but Tennessee lost in the January 1, 1969, Cotton Bowl 36-13 to Texas.
[5] For most of his tenure as the Vols' radio voice, he could be heard across much of the eastern half of North America on Nashville's WLAC, a 50,000-watt clear-channel station.
In his final season as "Voice of the Vols," UT named the fourth level of the East Skybox at Neyland Stadium "The John Ward Broadcast Center."
[6] His final basketball broadcast for the Vols came in the second round of the 1999 NCAA men's tournament, with Tennessee's loss to Southwest Missouri State University on March 21.
[8] In 1998, Kenny Chesney recorded a promotional single in tribute of Ward's retirement that same year, titled "Touchdown Tennessee".
[9] John Ward married Barbara Mae Tallent on Saturday, December 23, 1961, at the First Christian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.