By: Michael Goss
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State Athletics mourns the loss of legendary broadcaster and athletics administrator, Art Eckman, who passed away over the weekend. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Donna Haines Eckman, as well as two daughters, Christine Eckman and Kara Eckman Mecke, along with Kara's husband Ralph Mecke and their two children, Alastair and Cedric Mecke.
Eckman was the first sideline radio broadcaster for KSU football. He also played a big role in helping with a four-part documentary titled "It's Our Time: The Building of Kennesaw State Football" which was a four-part documentary that aired on Comcast Sports Southeast.
Eckman joined Kennesaw State after more than four decades in broadcasting. While he is most recognized for being the voice of ESPN's coverage of Supercross and Motocross, he served as an assistant athletics director for media relations and then a special assistant to the athletics director at Kennesaw State from 2009-2016.
Immediately upon joining KSU, Eckman managed the athletics communications staff and led the way in establishing new media with an emphasis on electronic communication, audio, and video.
After beginning his career as a sports anchor and sports director in Portland, Oregon, Eckman's career flourished as a play-by-play announcer, color analyst, studio host and reporter.
A fixture at the national level during a 20-year career at ESPN, Eckman became a local household name during 13 years as sports director at Atlanta's WXIA-TV.
Eckman's play-by-play roles included tenures with the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Dream, Houston Rockets, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco Giants, where he worked both radio and television. In his two years with the Giants, Eckman teamed with Al Michaels, who has since moved on to become one of the nation's most recognizable voices.
Plans for a Celebration of Life service will be at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 10, 2023, at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, 3180 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30305.
