The beloved and legendary former “Voice of the Jayhawks” Bob Davis passed away at the age of 80 today, KU Athletics shared following an announcement from the Davis family. Davis’ wife Linda, whom he was married to for 53 years, passed away just last week.
Davis, a Kansas native, attended high school in nearby Topeka, Kansas, and graduated from Washburn University in 1967.
After starting his broadcasting career in Hays, Kansas, Davis joined KU in 1984 and was the radio voice of Kansas basketball and football for more than 30 years before retiring in 2016.
Working alongside fellow legendary broadcaster Max Falkenstein for several years, Davis provided some of the most memorable calls in KU history.
He was there in 1988 to provide the famous “Dream is Real” call following KU basketball’s win over Oklahoma thanks to “Danny and the Miracles.” He was there in 2008 to call KU football’s historic Orange Bowl win over Virginia Tech and later KU basketball’s historic overtime win against Memphis in the national championship.
His famous “swish” call when a KU player made a three-pointer was something all KU fans knew well throughout the years, as well as several other famous plays and sequences in KU sports history.
"Bob Davis is synonymous with Kansas Athletics for generations of fans, who grew up listening to his calls of some of the most important moments in KU history," said Director of Athletics Travis Goff in a news release Friday afternoon. "Bob's love and passion of the Jayhawks shined through during the broadcast with his beloved radio partners. For more than three decades, Bob represented Kansas Athletics in exemplary fashion and connected Jayhawk fans everywhere with his famous one-liners and detailed storytelling.”
He brought life to KU Athletics events like no one had before him thanks to his passionate inflection and love for the university he called home for over three decades.
Also working as a member of the Kansas City Royals broadcast team from 1997 to 2016, Davis won several awards over the years for his work and is a member of both the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2006) and Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (2016), among others.
Following the news of his passing, the tributes came rolling in from his fellow broadcasters, former players, coaches and fans on social media – all who had been touched by Davis’ words and presence over the years behind the mic.
There will never be another Bob Davis. But although he is no longer with us, the memories he gave generations of Kansas fans will never be forgotten.
Remembering the legendary Bob Davis through his most unforgettable calls. pic.twitter.com/27b71Namol
— Kansas Jayhawks (@KUAthletics) March 21, 2025