Written by Nic Fraraccio // Photo provided by Jeff Montgomery
A member of the University’s sports network is rolling through his 17th season on the job with positivity and exciting calls that have continued to inspire people within the Harding community.
Billy Morgan, the voice of the Bisons, began his work with the Harding Sports Network in the 2007-2008 season following his eight-year tenure with Arkansas State University.
During his time at Harding, the Arkansas native has twice won the Sullivan Award for best radio broadcast announcer in Arkansas. Morgan said he has covered multiple historic events during his 17 years at Harding, but the Bisons’ national championship run in December 2023 is something he never thought of covering when he first came to Harding.
“To get to witness that and be in the booth for that has been something I will never forget without a doubt,” Morgan said. “I still have to pinch myself and remind myself that it happened because it sure was special.”
One of Morgan’s favorite calls as the voice of the Bisons came in the 38-7 national championship victory against Colorado School of Mines. Morgan said junior running back Braden Jay’s 73-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter is a call “that will always echo” in his head.
“Every time I see that run, tears come to my eyes, because I knew that Harding was going to win a national championship,” Morgan said. “That was the moment.”
As Morgan grew up, his inspiration to become a sports broadcaster hailed from the former “Voice of the Razorbacks,” Paul Eells. Morgan said Eells was a man who would always give him great advice during his start at Arkansas State University.
“I looked up to him so much,” Morgan said. “He gave me so many little tidbits of advice that have stuck with me my whole life and during the last 30 years of broadcasting.”
Harding alumnus and retired communication faculty member Tim Hamilton worked with both men during his career at Harding and KATV Channel 7 in Little Rock.
Hamilton worked as an editor, producer and photographer for the station while Eells was the sports director. Hamilton said both men always approached others with kindness and positivity in any given situation.
“If I looked at my 44 years in broadcasting … I was able to work with two of the nicest, kindest individuals that I have known in my entire life and that would be Paul Eells and Billy Morgan,” Hamilton said.
Morgan’s work at Harding has inspired students who aspire to work in the field of broadcasting. HU16 sports director Spencer Aiello said Morgan’s attitude for the job at the Harding Sports Network has always been reassuring.
“He wants to build relationships with the coaches, he wants to build relationships with the people he works with and he wants to build relationships with the players,” Aiello said. “That’s something you look for in people like [Morgan] in his position. For him to be able to do that daily with whomever he interacts with is such a reassuring and positive thing to know.”
