Freddie Coleman Shares His Journey To ESPN Radio

Yesterday Levack and Goz broadcasted live from the ESPN campus in Bristol, CT. The guys were joined by former Albany sports talk radio host Freddie Coleman. Freddie shared his story on how he was discovered by ESPN in the capital region. (12:09 mark)

“Bruce Gilbert , who was the general manager of ESPN Radio at the time, he  was driving  to  a seminar in upstate New York. He’s one of the smartest people that I’ve ever met. I’m talking about with any format--that’s how much I value his opinion and value his analysis. He has it. He’s forgotten more about radio than people know. And he was driving through, and he was just flipping around the dial, and it was the one day I was on by myself without John Tobin, who wasn’t feeling well. And apparently, maybe I fooled him, or maybe he was drunk, or whatever it was,  he heard me. And he goes back to a Monday meeting and he says, ‘Now I heard it,’  ‘cause Game Night, at that point, had an opening for a full-time position. He said in the Monday meeting, ‘ I heard a guy up in Albany I’d think would be perfect for ‘Game Night’ – his name is Freddie Coleman.’ Bruce Gilbert didn’t realize that the producer of ‘Game Night’ was Jason Barrett. Jason Barrett--we had known each other since the Poughkeepsie, N.Y. days, also worked in the Capital District. Jason said he almost gave us a whiplash whipping his head around because he thought someone was playing a joke on him. So he raised his hand and he said, ‘Yeah, I know how to get in touch with him,’ and Bruce goes, ‘Through who?’ He goes, ‘Through nothing. I got his phone number in my phone!’ So he calls me, I’m getting ready to prepare for the show, and over the loudspeaker they go, ‘Freddie Coleman, line one. ‘ I had to pick it up, and it was Jason Barrett. And-you guys know anybody that makes it in the Capital District on the national level, we really  ride with him because we know they’re representing us no matter what spectrum that is. And Jason goes, ‘How married are you to the Tobin and Coleman Show?’ And I’m thinking, “That’s a pretty strange question to get.”  And then he explained, ‘We got an opening at “Game Night.” My general manager heard you, and he thinks you should audition for it.’ So I’m thinking, “O.K. ha-ha. Very  funny. “ But, then I didn’t hear any laughter on the other side, so I’m thinking, “O.K., this is real, they’re actually serious about this. “ So I sent my stuff the next day. At that point, They called me for an audition. I auditioned that next weekend and 13 years later here I am.”