LAGRANGEVILLE, N.Y. — Jim Fagan, a WVU graduate whose baritone voice carried him through a career of voiceover announcing and sports production, has died. Fagan, 72, passed away at his home Tuesday afternoon from the effects of Parkinson’s disease.
There’s a good chance that while you may not have recognized his face, you knew his voice.
Over the years Fagan did voiceover work the NFL, the NBA, the Olympics, NBC Sports, the Mountaineer Sports Network, the MetroNews Radio Network and hundreds of commercials.
He was also an active alumnus of the University, past president of the WVU Alumni Association, and a member of the Order of Vandalia, WVU’s highest honor.
“WVU was so important to him,” said Jeff Smith, who had been friends with Fagan since college. Fagan, during his tenure with the Alumni Association, was instrumental in the decision to build a new alumni center.
Fagan, a native of Windber, Pa., came to WVU on a football scholarship. The playing career of the 6-2, 240 pound tackle was cut short when he learned after an injury that he had a blood disease.
After college, he went to New York City to try stage acting, but eventually landed in commercial voice work. His first commercial was for a product called Teri Towels.
Tony Caridi, MetroNews Sportsline host and play-by-play announcer for the Mountaineers, worked with Fagan many times. “His love for WVU was never ending, from athletics to academics, he took great pride in his association with WVU,” Caridi said. “Jim was one of the guys that made you proud to be a Mountaineer.”
Fagan was forced to curtail his announcing over the last several years because of his illness.