While Gary Cohen has called Seton Hall basketball games since 2003, his famous pipes are more associated with the Orange and Blue. But he’ll be putting down the headset and after calling the team’s series opener in Cleveland on Monday, Cohen will make the trek back to New Jersey as Seton Hall’s Class of 2024 will become college graduates on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s event at the Prudential Center in Newark will mark Gary Cohen’s inaugural experience wearing academic regalia, as he has never donned a cap and gown before in his life.
“It’s so totally out of nowhere and it’s pretty humbling, to think of the people normally called for this kind of role,” Cohen told northjersey.com. “I never envisioned anybody asking me to do this, so it’s very overwhelming.”
In addition to delivering this year’s commencement speech, Cohen, despite not being an alum of the university, will be granted an honorary doctorate.
He acknowledges the significance of such recognition, akin to addressing a vast audience. However, as a play-by-play announcer, he remains largely unseen by the audience he narrates the experiences for, maintaining a behind-the-scenes presence in the world of sports.
“I don’t really speak in public very much – I speak in private with people overhearing,” he said. “I don’t usually see my audience, so I don’t consider myself to be very good at speaking to people I can see.
“This obviously is completely different. You’re trying to provide some kind of worldview/guidance/words to live by for a bunch of kids who are just starting their path into their adult lives. It’s pretty daunting.”
Another challenging endeavor for Cohen is swiftly returning to Cleveland to provide commentary for Tuesday’s game between the Guardians and the Mets.
But Cohen doesn’t seem fazed by this, as he gratefully embraces this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
