Joe was a friend. He was always smiling and happy. This time he was even more so. It wasn’t long after all of his rehab and he was driving again when I ran into him at the bank. I don’t remember his exact words but he was saying how grateful he was for all the support and prayers he received. He shared that God was working in his life. I know his words were encouraging to me and I believe God used that time in Joe’s life for him to be a faithful witness to others. RIP in Joe Smith and God bless your family. TGR
Zach Osterman
Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY NETWORK
BLOOMINGTON — Joe Smith, for decades a fixture on IU radio broadcasts and a member of the Indiana Sportswriters/ Sportscasters Hall of Fame, died Monday. He was 78.
Smith’s passing was confirmed in a statement from his radio station, 98.7 The Zone, in Bloomington.
“Joe touched people in the way great broadcasters do,” the statement read in part, “by being there again and again and again. For almost 60 years Joe answered the bell in Bloomington, and never once cheated his listeners. He was a miracle of consistent professionalism and boundless joy.
“He never took being on the radio for granted, and embraced every opportunity to bring listeners into an event through his energy and precise description of every play.”
Smith spent 40 years as part of Indiana Athletics’ in-house radio team. Working alongside hall-of-fame playby- play broadcaster Don Fischer, Smith managed pregame, halftime and postgame duties for both football and men’s basketball beginning in1983, after working in television for several years before that.
From1978-82, Smith managed the IU TV warmup shows, and he hosted various coaches’ shows in stints crossing three decades.
Originally from Indianapolis, Smith bore witness to some of the most remarkable achievements in IU sports history. He was named Indiana Sportscaster of the Year in 1998, and he joined the state’s hall of fame in 2003.
Inducted into the Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame in 2021, Smith was also a fixture locally, working as a broadcaster for Bloomington-area high school sports for decades. He served for years as sports director at WGCL-AM 1370, now 98.7 The Zone, the city’s home for high school sports.
Buck Suhr, left, Don Fischer, center, and Joe Smith man the IU football broadcast booth ahead of the 2010 game against Towson.
MIKE DICKBERND/INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
In June 2004, Smith was awarded the J.W. Bill Orwig Medal, given by IU to non-alumni for distinguished service to the university. In 2020, he received a university Bicentennial Medal from then-President Michael McRobbie. Smith retired from the IU Radio Network in 2022, but remained on the airwaves until his death.
He is survived by his two children, Jeff and Jamie, as well as six grandchildren.
“This is an incredibly sad day,” the station’s statement concluded. “But today is also a day to remember what he taught us through everything he did — everything we do is worth doing well, and maybe someone is listening to us for the very first time, and what a shame it would be if that was not at our very best.
“Joe will be missed, but his example will serve us forever.”
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