by Jim Young

The voice is as synonymous with USF Basketball as the banners that proudly hang in the rafters of one of the Bay Area's most hallowed basketball halls. It's not as important Dons' fans know the name of the voice as it is for the voice to know the names of others and most importantly – be able to pronounce them correctly.
 
The smooth, modulated tones that resonate through War Memorial at The Sobrato Center on game nights belong to Joe Hallisy, who celebrates his 30th year of serving as public address announcer for USF basketball this season. Beginning with his first game men's basketball game on Nov. 29, 1986, Hallisy has called close to a 1,000 Dons' home events, including women's basketball and volleyball contests. He has only missed three games over the last 30 years, which as USF's longtime official scorekeeper Bill Hayes points out, is one more than he has missed in his 50-plus years of service.
 
Hallisy has enunciated thousands of names, ranging from layups such as Kevin Ellis, Jeff Green and Tim Owens to hand-in-your face, contested corner jumpers like Moustapha Diarra, Nikola Stojiljovic and Mamadou Cisse, with equal aplomb.
 
Even though he lacked formal voice or broadcasting training when he slipped behind the microphone for his first Dons game in the 1986-87 season, Hallisy is now one of the most recognizable PA voices on the Bay Area sporting scene. In addition to his announcing duties at USF, which also includes women's basketball and volleyball games, he has handled public address assignments for a multitude of other local events and teams, including the Golden Gloves boxing, World Cup soccer, the St. Patrick's Day Parade and the San Francisco Giants, for which he has served in a back-up PA role since 1993.
 
His style is "understated" and thankfully far-removed from the maniacal screamers who actually believe their twisted vocal calisthenics add to a game's atmosphere. However, it's well worth arriving early to hear Hallisy's pre-game read of the new Coca Cola advertisement, which he still finds difficult to do with a straight face.
 
A native San Franciscan and recent retiree from the city's fire department, Hallisy has made his home in the inner Sunset District with his wife Claudine and three children, for 27 years. An avid runner and former boxer, he headed up the FLAME program during his last six years with the SFFD as part of his longtime commitment to physical education among the youth of San Francisco. He is in his 43rd year of teaching elementary physical education at St. Thomas Apostle School at 39th and Balboa.
 
His introduction to USF was made at a very early age through his father, Joe, who played soccer for the Dons during the mid-1930s before going onto a long career with the San Francisco Police Department. His brother, Jim, is a 1968 USF graduate and his daughter Kelly was a member of the Class of 2013.
 
A devout Catholic, Hallisy also serves as a lector at St. Ignatius Church, where he reads regularly at the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturdays. "A little divine intervention for the Dons never hurts," says Hallisy, a 1970 graduate of St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
 
Like the great, now silent voices which are immediately associated with a particular sporting venue -- Bob Sheppard at Yankee Stadium, Sherm Feller at Fenway Park, John Ramsey at Dodger Stadium, Roy Steele at the Oakland Coliseum, John Condon at Madison Square Garden and Dave Zinkoff at the old Philadelphia Spectrum come to mind – Joe Hallisy is a San Francisco original, whose impeccable and eloquent enunciation combined with a stately style have endeared him to generations of USF basketball fans. 
 
Hallisy recently discussed his longtime association with USF and his announcing career in this exclusive interview for USFDons.com.
 
How did you begin your association with USF?
I started announcing games at USF in 1986. I was the athletic director at St. Cecilia Parish in San Francisco and I got a phone call from Father Robert Sunderland, who was the athletic director at USF at the time. He had some used sports equipment he wanted to donate to local elementary schools. I then went to campus to meet Bobby Giron, the legendary equipment manager and he and Father Sunderland gave me a ton of equipment for our program. I mentioned to Father Sunderland I was a broadcasting major and asked him to keep me in mind for any announcing work. He called me two weeks later and hired me.
 
Did you have any previous announcing duties prior to USF?
My first announcing job was as the ring announcer for the Golden Gloves boxing tournament. I boxed in the Golden Gloves in 1975 at the Civic Auditorium and a few weeks later they hired me as their ring announcer, which was much easier than ducking left hooks. I also did play-by-play and color commentary of West Catholic Athletic League and AAA games on KALW radio with USF alum John Donohue.
 
When did you starting announcing women's games?
I began working women's games in 1990.  The conference was playing doubleheaders and Father Sunderland asked me to come early and announce the women's games as well.  I played high school basketball and the game we played was below the rim, just like the women, so I became an instant fan.  Men and women combined, I think I've only missed three games in 30 years.
 
Tell us about some of your other announcing assignments in the Bay Area?
I've been the back-up announcer for the Giants since 1993, so I've worked at both Candlestick and AT&T Park in that role.  I've announced World Cup Soccer at Stanford, the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials at Concord Pavilion, plus the NCAA Western Regionals which USF hosted at the Oakland Coliseum in 2006.  I worked USF volleyball for the first time this fall and loved every minute of it.  I'm a big fan of prep sports, as well.  In March, I will announce the CIF regional and state basketball championships for the 17th year in a row.  Also, I'm proud to have worked a number of events for Sacred Heart Cathedral, St. Ignatius, and the San Francisco public high schools.  Finally, I added the St. Patrick's Day Parade to my resume the last couple of years.  A parade is much like a ball game - you have to get the names right.
 
How would you describe your style?
I consider my style of announcing to be understated.  I will do anything the staff requests of me to add to the atmosphere, but I am not the attraction.  Fans are there to watch the players and I supplement that to the best of my ability.
 
What goes into preparing for a game?
I am very diligent in my preparation.  I generally arrive two hours before tip-off to go over that day's script and to check pronunciations of our opponent.  I don't think there is any excuse for mispronouncing a player's name.  The early arrival gives me the opportunity to talk to the players personally to get it right.
 
What have been some of your favorite names over the years?
Some of my favorite USF names over the years were Mamadou Cisse, Moustapha Diarra, and Kruize Pinkins. Saying simply Mamadou, Moose, and Kruize Control was all that was needed. One player I especially enjoyed introducing was Leeane Jensen. She had heart surgery when she was 20 and had a defibrillator implanted in her chest. Her career was presumed over but she just loved to play basketball. She eventually suited up for the Dons and earned a spot in the starting lineup. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, her mom said she would have tears in her eyes whenever I introduced her.
 
Do you have a favorite call?
If I had to pick a signature call, it would be of my all-time favorite Don, Orlando Smart.  The Orlando Magic debuted in the NBA in 1989 and when Orlando Smart arrived on campus in 1991, I used "Orlando Magic" whenever he did something special. It's amazing that he had 902 assists in his USF career and no other Don has reached 500.
 
Can you remember any bloopers or embarrassing moments?
I remember when Colorado played the USF women's team in 2009.  The Colorado starting lineup included two players named Whitney Houston and Brittany Spears. After I introduced them, a female fan started berating me for making a "travesty of the game."
 
What are some of your most memorable moments?
There have been many. Beating Gonzaga three straight years under Rex Walters was outstanding. Defeating Notre Dame on the Hilltop in 1989 was special, as well but the men's team going to the NCAA Tournament in 1998 has to top the list. On the women's side, the run of conference titles and NCAA Tournament trips in the mid-90's under Bill and Mary Hile-Nepfel was a great ride.
 
Tell us about your family?
I was born and raised in the City and have lived in the Inner Sunset for 27 years.  I love our neighborhood. I run 15 miles a week and we are only two blocks from Golden Gate Park so it's very convenient. I've been married to my wife, Claudine for 30 years. She is an elementary school teacher and a proud graduate of USF.  My son, Sean (26) is a graduate of Cal Poly and a rookie firefighter with the SFFD. My daughter, Kelly (24) is a member of the USF class of 2013.  A few years ago, I was looking for a gold shirt to wear at our Gold Out game.  Kelly bought me the brightest, ugliest, yellowish shirt ever made and I faithfully wear it once a year.  She has lived in both Brooklyn and Tucson in the last few years and she tunes into the Gold Out game to see if I'm wearing my shirt.  It's amazing how it stands out as the game moves up and down the court. My youngest, Megan (21) is a junior at Santa Clara.  I left San Francisco State in 1981 to go into the Fire Department, needing only 18 units to get my broadcasting degree.  I returned to state last year and will graduate in May.  I didn't want to be the only one in my house without a degree and Megan's entry into college motivated me to beat her to the stage to get my diploma.
 
What are your first memories of USF?
My association with USF began with my dad.  He went to USF and played soccer for the Dons in the mid-30's. He was the head of the Chinatown Squad for the SFPD and passed away in 1967.  He was a diehard fan and all seven of us kids knew the fight song at an early age.  A favorite family story is the time dad took my older sister, Pat and brothers Dan and Jim, a 1968 graduate, to Kezar Pavilion to watch the Dons play.  USF Hall of Famer, Hal Perry jumped into the stands to try and save an errant pass and landed right in the midst of the Hallisy kids.
 
Jim Young '85 returned to his alma mater as associate athletic director for communications in October of 2012. As an undergraduate, he worked as a student assistant in USF's sports information office, where among his many duties was handling the public address announcing duties for men's soccer, volleyball and women's basketball. He called the first-ever soccer game played at Negoesco Stadium in the fall of 1982 and once filled in for legendary Oakland Coliseum PA announcer Roy Steele when he was director of public relations for the Oakland A's.