Meet the Team

Mick Gillispie
Director of Broadcasting
[email protected]
Twitter: @SmokiesonRadio

Mick Gillispie begins his seventh season as Director of Broadcasting for the Smokies. Prior to joining Tennessee he spent 2005 & 2006 on the Chattanooga Lookouts broadcast team. In 2004, Gillispie acted as Director of Broadcaster for the Salem Avalanche (Class A Carolina League).

Mick’s broadcasting career started at the University of Alabama on WVUA radio in Tuscaloosa. He did play-by-play of Alabama Baseball and hosted a football pre-game show. After graduating college, he moved to North Carolina as broadcaster for the Wilson Tobs. While there, he also acted as the team’s Assistant General Manager. In addition to baseball, Gillispie spends the off-season working for the Crimson Tide Sports Network calling Alabama baseball and women’s basketball games. He also broadcasts high school football for Tuscaloosa County High on 99.1 FM in Tuscaloosa. At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Gillispie was named the Southern League Broadcaster Of The Year. In 2011 and 2012, Mick is called 20 spring training games for the Chicago Cubs Radio Network. Mick will call the action for all 140 games on the Smokies Radio Network.

Wottreng

Michael Wottreng
 Senior Broadcast Assistant
 [email protected]
 Twitter: @MWottreng

Michael Wottreng begins his first season as broadcasting and media relations assistant for the Tennessee Smokies.  Wottreng spent the summer of 2012 as the radio broadcaster for the East Texas Pump Jacks, a summer collegiate team in the Texas Collegiate League.

A native of Cincinnati, Wottreng worked in the broadcasting department at Miami (Ohio) prior to joining the Smokies on Radio team. At Miami, Michael was the play-by-play broadcaster for volleyball, baseball, and softball.  A May 2012 graduate of Marquette University, he was the sports director at Marquete University Radio (WMUR) for three years, where he was a play-by-play broadcaster for basketball, volleyball, and soccer and a radio show host.  Wottreng also was a TV host and reporter for Marquette University Television and was a writer for the Marquette Tribune.

Blake McKinneyBlake_Headshot
Visual Media Coordinator [email protected]

Blake McKinney joins the Smokies Radio Network team for the 2013 season.
He has extensive experience in video production with a background in both live and non-live projects. McKinney has worked for the Carson-Newman athletic department on the production staff since 2010. He has also contributed to national outlets such as ESPN and CBS sports.

McKinney, a native of Dandridge, TN, will earn his degree from Carson-Newman University next spring. Blake spent the 2011 season as an intern for the Tennessee Smokies production staff.

 

Nick RoarkHead Shot
Broadcast and Mulitmedia Assistant 
[email protected]
Twitter: @NickRoark4

Nick Roark is a recent graduate of The University of Tennessee where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Electronic Media.  Roark joins the Smokies Radio Network in his first season and will assist in the production of Smokies broadcasts throughout the season.  Roark will also provide content for SmokiesOnRadio.com.

A native of Morristown, Tenn., Roark provided color commentary in 2010 for Morristown West High School basketball games alongside former Smokies Radio Network staffer Darren Headrick. In spring of 2012, Roark spent time at Walters State Community College where served as a Public Address announcer for the college’s baseball and softball games.  Roark also produced content for tnjn.com and TennesseeSportsTicket.com during his time at the University of Tennessee.

Matthew OsborneHeadshot  
Broadcast & Media Intern  
[email protected]
Twitter: @osbornematthew

Matthew Osborne is entering his first season with the Smokies Radio Network. Osborne, a Knoxville, Tenn.,  native, is a student at the University of Tennessee pursuing a degree in journalism.  His broadcast career started at Fulton High School’s WKCS where he provided play-by-play for the Lady Falcon’s basketball broadcast.

Osborne has also contributed content to The Daily Beacon, tnjn.com, easttennesseesports.com, and TennesseeSportsTicket.com in that past.

Jay Lifford DSCN5964
Broadcast Associate   
[email protected]

Jay Lifford begins his first season with Smokies’ Broadcasting and Media Team.  A Music Broadcasting Veteran, Jay began his broadcasting career in Chattanooga, TN as a weekend DJ on 96.5 The Mountain.  After graduation from UT-Chattanooga in December of 2000, Jay moved home to Knoxville, TN to become the weeknight DJ for WIMZ.  Jay then got the opportunity to serve as Production Director for The Christian Media Center.  While Jay’s primary job was writing and producing commercials for 4 different stations, he also produced Talk Shows for AM affiliate Joy 620 and Hosted Afternoon Drive on Love 89.

Most recently, Jay has served as producer and co-host of “Rick’s House” with Rick Allen, and in the off season produces High School Football and UT Football Broadcasts for the Sports Animal.