Skip to main content
Scott Anez, ’88: Host, ESPN Orlando Radio

Scott Anez, ’88: Host, ESPN Orlando Radio

After 30 years in the business, Anez looks back.

Spring 2014

“I grew up listening to radio voices such as Johnny Most and Marv Albert and wanted to be like them. When I was in college, WUCF employed students to run the radio station. I began my broadcasting career calling UCF baseball games, and I’ll never forget my first one — UCF vs. Seton Hall University. I was scared to death, but I got through it and was soon calling UCF football games. One of my best experiences was traveling with the WUCF crew to Tallahassee to cover the UCF vs. FAMU game. We paid our own way and slept six in a room. To this day, it was the most fun I’ve ever had in the broadcasting field.”

“Making mistakes early in my career was vital for me. Being a cub broadcaster at UCF and learning on the fly helped me to think on my feet and get more comfortable with being on the air.”

“My most memorable on-air moment was a 1998 interview with then-Magic player Penny Hardaway. The Magic had just been ousted in the first round of the playoffs, and Penny vented for a full hour about the Magic organization and the city. When I arrived at Orlando Magic headquarters the next day and they asked for the tape of that interview, I knew Penny’s Orlando days were numbered.”

“Orlando has been very good to me, so I strive to give back. I work with Community Food & Outreach Center, a great organization that was co-founded by Scott George, ’84. I think we were put on this earth to help our fellow man — and there but for the grace of God go I. I can’t tell you how many folks who used to be donors to the organization are now clients of its services.”

“Sports really becomes a connection to your school once you graduate. What Coach O’Leary and the football team did this year not only electrified us alumni — it also electrified the Orlando community. The day after the Fiesta Bowl win over Baylor, my chest was a bit more puffed out and I had an extra bounce in my step. People were calling me on the air to congratulate me on the win. I didn’t play a single down for Coach O this year, but I still felt like a part of it — and that’s a cool feeling.”