Joe Dean obit

Hall-of-Fame announcer Joe Dean Sr. dies at 83

Known for his "String Music" call, Joe Dean Sr. was a legend in Louisiana and throughout southern college basketball.

 

He was not on the list.

One of the famed voices of southern college basketball died Sunday. Joe Dean Sr., who was a color commentator for SEC college basketball for nearly two decades, lost his life to a battle with heart disease in Baton Rouge, according to multiple reports.

He was 83.

Dean had many professions tied to athletics over the years. He was LSU's athletic director, and in fact started his career in basketball, becoming an All-SEC guard during his playing days from 1949-52. Dean was an Olympic Team alternate in 1956 and named to LSU's All-Century team just four years ago.

From the Baton Rouge Advocate:

Dean is survived by his three children — Joe Jr., Mardi and Mark — eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Dean had surgery — not heart-related — last week in Baton Rouge. He returned to his home Saturday. A homecare aid found him unresponsive Sunday morning.

“We think his heart just gave out,” said Joe Dean Jr., the athletic director at Birmingham-Southern.

One of the most famous alums in LSU history took to Twitter Sunday to say his thanks and pay respects.

RIP TO A LSU LEGEND JOE DEAN BE SURE AND GIVE MY FATHER PHILIP A HARRISON A HUG. BOTH OF U WERE A GREAT IMPACT ON ME THANK YOU

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) November 17, 2013 From Shaquille O'Neal

Prior to getting to LSU in the late '80s, Dean worked with Converse for nearly 30 years. While broadcasting games, he became known for his trademark slogan "string music," signaling a shot that was a swish. Dean was a color analyst on many southern TV networks from 1969-1987.

“Joe Dean’s influence on the SEC has been profound on many levels because of his involvement as a student-athlete, alumnus, athletic director and broadcaster," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said in a statement. "His signature ‘String Music’ is synonymous with SEC basketball and he has been a fixture at our basketball tournament for many years. His presence will be missed, but his impact will live on for many of us in the SEC for years to come.”

Upon giving up the mic, Dean took the job as AD at LSU, holding post from 1987-2000, the school winning 40 SEC titles during his time running the athletic department. Dean was responsible for hiring current Alabama football coach Nick Saban. Saban won a national title with LSU in 2004.

Dean was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame 364 days prior to his death, on Nov. 18, 2012. He, Pete Maravich and Bob Pettit are the only players from LSU ever inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He leaves a legacy that also includes induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, the state of his birth.

Joe Dean was born in Brazil, Indiana and was raised in New Albany, Indiana, in a one-bedroom home with his parents, Cyril and Thelma, as well as his older sister Louise. His full name was Robert Joe Dean, and he went by "Bob Joe" early in life. However, it was on the basketball courts in his hometown where he was tagged with the name, "Jojo," that he would be known by those closest to him throughout his life.

Dean was a starter on his high school team at New Albany High School, including a stint as the team's captain during his senior year. Dean was extremely close to his high school coach Gordon Raney, who suggested Dean attend LSU, where he thought Dean would receive more playing time. In 2007, Dean became an inductee into the inaugural class of the New Albany High School Hall of Fame.

Dean was the first LSU player to be selected in the NBA draft, taken fourth overall by the Indianapolis Olympians in the 1952 NBA draft. He instead chose to play for the Bartlesville Phillips 66ers of the National Industrial Basketball League.

Dean is most famous for his work as a color analyst for Southeastern Conference basketball games, which he covered for 20 years. He coined the phrase "String Music" and is also known for other phrases such as, "Stufferino in Lexington, KY", "tickling the twine" and "string music in Music City". During his run, he worked with NBC, TBS, ESPN, TVS, SPI/Lorimar and Jefferson Pilot.

Dean gave up announcing in April 1987, when he took over the athletic director post at his alma mater, LSU. He served from April 1987 through the end of the 2000 calendar year, with the LSU's 2000 Peach Bowl victory over Georgia Tech being his last official event as athletic director. During his tenure, Dean oversaw arguably the greatest athletic era in school history. The LSU baseball team won five national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000) while the men's and women's track teams accounted for 22 national championships combined, including a record 11-consecutive NCAA Outdoor Track and Field championships by the women's team. At the time of his retirement, the 27 national championships under Dean's guidance were an SEC record.

The LSU football team won one SEC Championship (1988), two SEC Western Division Championships (1996, 1997) and four bowl victories (1995, 1996, 1997, 2000) in his 14 years. Among Dean's final major decisions at the helm of the athletic department was to hire Nick Saban as head football coach.

Saban led LSU to SEC Championships in 2001 and 2003 as well as the school's first national championship in 45 years in 2003. Brady guided LSU to the 2000 SEC Championship and 2006 Final Four before being fired during the 2008 season. After Dean's 14 years, he was succeeded in 2001 by former baseball coach Skip Bertman.