Tony Caridi is 2026 Recipient of Morehouse Award
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on April 08, 2026
Tony Caridi has been selected the winner of the 2026 Morehouse Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.
Caridi has been the play-by-play announcer for West Virginia University football and men’s basketball since 1997.
The award is given for contributions to journalism and named for the late Marshall University sports information director Gene Morehouse, who died in the 1970 airplane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall football players, coaches, staff and fans. The award has been given since 1971.
Caridi will be presented the Morehouse Award at the 79th Victory Awards, Sunday, May 3, 2026 at Charleston Town Center in Charleston, West Virginia.
Caridi is known by his catchphrase following a WVU victory, “It’s a great night to be a Mountaineer, wherever you may be!”
That resounding statement along with the longevity of his bringing the pageantry and atmosphere of WVU games into Mountaineers fans’ homes secured the Lockport, New York native’s place in their hearts.
“It’s an honor to do the job that I do because of the significance that it has for people who listen,” said Caridi. “The play-by-play job is only as good as the passion of the fan base. Every time West Virginia plays, there are people who are locked in emotionally. That’s what give this job such great value, knowing that it means so much.”
Caridi’s career in West Virginia began in 1984 as a reporter with WAJR-AM in Morgantown.
“When you have your first job out of college become the place where you stay for the rest of your career, I could never have believed it,” Caridi said. “But that’s what happened. There’s always been reasons to stay, for positive reasons. It’s been nothing but a blessing that this opportunity came to me and has continued to grow over the course of time.”
He became an instrumental part of the MetroNews Radio Network in its beginning, as its sports director and host of the statewide radio program, Sportsline.
He has also broadcast games for the Atlantic 10 Television Network, ESPN and the Mutual Radio Network.
A graduate of Syracuse University, he has been inducted into the West Virginia Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2022 and Syracuse University’s WAER Hall of Fame in 2023.
Caridi and his wife Joan have three sons, Michael, Andrew and Matthew. They also have two grandchildren, Luca and Noah.
The Morehouse Award is given for contributions to journalism and named for the late Marshall University sports information director Gene Morehouse, who died in the 1970 airplane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall football players, coaches, staff and fans. The award has been given by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association since 1971.
2026 - Tony Caridi, Mountaineer Sports Network
2025 - John Antonik, WVU
2024 – Bob Hertzel, Morgantown
2023 – Frank Giardina, Charleston
2022 – Mark Martin, Jackson Herald/WCHS-TV
2021 – Chris Johnson, Connect-Bridgeport
2020 – Rich Stevens, Wheeling/Charleston
2019 – Dan Stillwell, Beckley Register-Herald
2018 – Dave Morrison, Beckley
2017 – Jim Butta, Parkersburg News and Sentinel
2016 – Jack Bogaczyk, Charleston Daily Mail/Marshall
2015 – Rick Kozlowski, Martinsburg Journal
2014 – Rick McCann, Huntington Herald-Dispatch
2013 – Greg Talkington, Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram
2012 – Randy Payton, Wayne County News
2011 – Rick Ryan, Charleston Gazette
2010 – Dave Poe, Parkersburg News
2009 – Dave Walsh, Huntington Herald-Dispatch
2008 – Cliff Nichols, Fairmont Times-West Virginian
2007 – Mitch Vingle, Charleston Gazette
2006 – Robert Ours, Morgantown
2005 – Norman Julian, Morgantown
2004 – Jim Warner, Buckhannon
2003 – Eddie Barrett, Huntington
2002 – George Holbrook, Charleston
2001 – Mike Whiteford, Charleston Gazette
2000 – Jim Cochran, Wheeling News-Register
1999 – Dave Hickman, Charleston Gazette
1998 – Chuck Landon, Charleston Daily Mail
1997 – Scott Brown, Beckley Register-Herald
1996 – Jack Fleming, Mountaineer Sports Network
1995 – Bob Staats, Ravenswood Star News
1994 – Carroll Jett, Parkersburg News and Sentinel
1993 – John Veasey, Fairmont Times-Virginian
1992 – Doug Huff, Wheeling Intelligencer
1991 – Bob Fretwell, Charleston Gazette
1990 – Nick Bedway, Wheeling News-Register
1989 – Skip Johnson, Charleston Gazette
1988 – Lowell Cade, Huntington Herald-Dispatch
1987 – Jim Mearns, Clarksburg Exponent
1986 – Al Babcock, Fairmont Times
1985 – Jack Rogers, Point Pleasant Register
1984 – Frank Lee, WMMN radio, Fairmont
1983 – Bob Baker, Charleston Gazette
1982 – Jim Van Zant, Huntington Herald-Dispatch
1981 – Don Hager, Charleston Daily Mail
1980 – Dan Hose, United Press International Charleston
1979 – Bill Van Horne, Wheeling News-Register
1978 – Bill Smith, Charleston Daily Mail
1977 – Ernie Salvatore, Huntington Herald-Dispatch; Bus Williams, St. Albans Advertiser
1976 – Brad Kincaid, Parkersburg Sentinel; Neil Shreve, Fairmont Times
1975 – Charles Hylton, Logan Banner; Jim Snyder, Parkersburg News
1974 – John Faulconer, Hinton Daily News; Mickey Furfari, Morgantown Dominion-News
1973 – Dick Hudson, Charleston Daily Mail; Tony Constantine, Morgantown Post
1972 – George W. Springer, Beckley Post-Herald; Fred Burns, Huntington Herald-Dispatch
1971 – A.L. “Shorty” Hardman, Charleston Gazette; Virgil “Stubby” Currence, Bluefield.
