PHILADELPHIA – Temple Athletics and the university community are saddened by the loss of longtime Voice of the Owls Harry Donahue, who passed away Oct. 29.
Donahue served as the voice of Temple football and men’s basketball for parts of five decades.
He began working with Temple Athletics in 1984, broadcasting select football games on the radio for several years. In 1987, his involvement expanded to men’s basketball, calling play-by-play for a package of games for the No. 1–ranked Owls on Channel 17. He returned as the play-by-play voice of Temple Football in 1993 and later assumed play-by-play duties for men’s basketball in 2002.
One of the most recognizable voices in the Delaware Valley, Donahue worked as the morning news and sports anchor at KYW Newsradio 1060 for 35 years before retiring from the 50,000-watt station in 2014.
He was inducted into the Temple Basketball Ring of Honor in 2020 and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
Throughout his tenure, Donahue also served as host for the Temple football and basketball coaches’ shows, as well as Temple Now, a biweekly television program on Temple Athletics that aired in the 1990s. He frequently emceed Temple Athletics Hall of Fame celebrations and other university events.
A Philadelphia native, Donahue’s broadcasting career extended beyond Temple and KYW. He handled play-by-play duties for Philadelphia Eagles preseason games, Philadelphia 76ers contests, and voiced highlights for NFL.com. An avid golfer, he also hosted the popular Inside Golf show, which airs on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
