Black Honored As Bill Schwanke Award Winner
01/03/2025 | Football, General, Spider Athletic Fund
Richmond, Va. — Bob Black, "Voice of the Spiders" and Director of Broadcast & News Content, and a voice synonymous with Spiders football, has been named the winner of the 2024 Bill Schwanke Award, named after the longtime Montana Grizzlies Radio voice and presented each year to the top play-by-play radio broadcaster in FCS football.
Black was there every step of the way in 2024 as the Spiders reached the FCS Playoffs for a third straight year. Richmond secured back-to-back conference championships, a feat achieved only once before in program history, and finished the regular season with 10 wins for the team's best record since 2009. The 2024 Spiders completed an undefeated 8-0 conference season, marking only the second such accomplishment in program history and the first since 1968. This year's team became just the seventh in CAA history to finish conference play unbeaten as it reached as high as seven in the national polls.
Black has called Spider athletics events since the 1983-84 basketball season when Richmond made its first NCAA Tournament appearance. He's called every NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game involving Richmond, including the team's Sweet 16 runs in 1988 and 2011. Black also narrated the football team's 2008 National Championship run and the baseball team's 2002 NCAA Super Regional appearance. In addition to his play-by-play duties, he hosts The Sports Huddle daily from 4-6 p.m. on ESPN Richmond and weekly shows with head football coach Russ Huesman and head basketball coach Chris Mooney.
In March 2023, Black received the prestigious Bob Vetrone Media Award from the Atlantic 10 Conference. A month later, he was honored by Richmond Athletics with the Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award for 40 years of service. Black is also a four-time Virginia Sportscaster of the Year (1997, 2000, 2008, 2010).
Black was there every step of the way in 2024 as the Spiders reached the FCS Playoffs for a third straight year. Richmond secured back-to-back conference championships, a feat achieved only once before in program history, and finished the regular season with 10 wins for the team's best record since 2009. The 2024 Spiders completed an undefeated 8-0 conference season, marking only the second such accomplishment in program history and the first since 1968. This year's team became just the seventh in CAA history to finish conference play unbeaten as it reached as high as seven in the national polls.
Black has called Spider athletics events since the 1983-84 basketball season when Richmond made its first NCAA Tournament appearance. He's called every NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game involving Richmond, including the team's Sweet 16 runs in 1988 and 2011. Black also narrated the football team's 2008 National Championship run and the baseball team's 2002 NCAA Super Regional appearance. In addition to his play-by-play duties, he hosts The Sports Huddle daily from 4-6 p.m. on ESPN Richmond and weekly shows with head football coach Russ Huesman and head basketball coach Chris Mooney.
In March 2023, Black received the prestigious Bob Vetrone Media Award from the Atlantic 10 Conference. A month later, he was honored by Richmond Athletics with the Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award for 40 years of service. Black is also a four-time Virginia Sportscaster of the Year (1997, 2000, 2008, 2010).
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