Coach K: Duke loses ‘one of its greatest treasures’ with death of Bob Harris

Bob Harris, the legendary and longtime radio voice of Duke basketball for more than four decades, died Wednesday in Durham.

Harris was 81.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Harris,” Duke athletics director Nina King, said in a school-issued statement.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to Phyllis and the entire Harris family. Duke, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the entire collegiate athletics community has lost a true icon. For over four decades, Bob represented Duke with the utmost professionalism while delivering to our fans worldwide an acute account of Blue Devil football and men’s basketball games. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live forever.”

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Harris, who spent 41 years with the Blue Devils and called each of the program’s five national championship victories under former coach Mike Krzyzewski, retired in 2017 from his post as Duke’s radio play-by-play announcer on the Blue Devil Radio Network.

“Duke lost another one of its greatest treasures with the passing of Bob Harris,” Krzyzewski said in a school-issued statement.

“For decades as our radio play-by-play broadcaster, Bob told the story of Duke Athletics better than anyone. He was much more than an announcer to all of us. He was a family member who absolutely loved Duke and everything it stands for.

“We are so thankful that it was his voice that shared our journey each season with so many Duke fans around the world. He was adored by so many of them. The Krzyzewski family offers our deepest condolences to Phyllis and their loved ones. It was my honor to call Bob my friend.”

Harris called 1,392 Duke basketball games, including 16 ACC championships, 13 Final Fours and 10 national title games. The Albemarle native also called 471 consecutive Duke football games from 1976 until his retirement in 2017.

In 2016, Harris announced his intentions to retire following the 2016-17 season. He is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. He worked with nine football coaches, including Steve Spurrier and David Cutcliffe, and two basketball coaches — Bill Foster and Coach K. He began his broadcasting career in 1967 as the sports director at WZKY in Stanly County.

A recipient of the ACC’s Skeeter Francis Award for distinguished service in the league, Harris was awarded the state’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his “exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and its communities.”

At the time of his retirement, Harris was the longest tenured play-by-play announcer in the ACC.

Harris is survived by his wife of 61 years, Phyllis, along with daughter Bobbi Harris-McCoy, son-in-law, Ron McCoy, and two grandchildren: Tripp and Meredith Winkler.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Bob Harris, longtime Duke basketball radio broadcaster, dies