J.W. Cox - Director of Broadcasting / Play-by-Play Broadcaster (FB

Staff Directory

J.W. Cox

Title:
Director of Broadcasting / Play-by-Play Broadcaster (FB | MBB)
Email:
Phone:
(319) 666-3804

J.W. Cox was named director of broadcasting for UNI Athletics and its multimedia rights holder, LEARFIELD’s Panther Sports Properties in July 2022. Cox also serves as the “Voice of the Panthers” as the play-by-play broadcaster of UNI football and men’s basketball on the Panther Sports Radio Network.

"I'm so excited to have the chance to tell the stories of UNI student-athletes to a passionate audience built by such a legend behind the mic,” Cox said. “This is an opportunity I've worked towards my entire career and I can't wait to get started.”

Originally from Cherry Valley, California, Cox comes to Cedar Falls from Bloomington, Minnesota, where he had been the play-by-play voice for St. Cloud State football and men's and women's basketball since 2011. He also handled the on-site direction for all technical and sales fulfillment aspects of the broadcasts. Additionally, Cox served the last five years with Minnesota News Network anchoring hourly newscasts for air on a statewide network of more than 60 stations. He also was the No. 2 play-by-play voice for television/radio simulcast for the St. Paul Saints, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, and was the team's digital studio host across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A 2009 graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in broadcasting/journalism, Cox broke into major broadcasting in 2010 as the play-by-play voice of the Northwoods League’s Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, calling all 70 games over two seasons on local radio, while also coordinating 35 home TV broadcasts each season and producing stadium publications, blogs and team press releases. Named the Northwoods League Broadcaster of the Year in 2011, Cox moved on to Minnesota where he also provided play-by-play commentary for Leighton Broadcasting for high school and collegiate sports in the St. Cloud area.

Cox has received a number of honors during his broadcasting career, including the Sportscaster’s Talent Agency People’s Choice Award as a “Top 30 Under 30 Sportscaster” in 2014. He earned the North Metro Television Golden Voice Award (2013, 2015), the Excellence in Production Award (2016) for his role in covering Twin Cities area high school sports and also was recognized by the National Association of State Radio Networks for his part in the production of Minnesota News Network’s award-winning public affairs program Minnesota Matters (2019, 2021).

Cox and his wife, Emily, reside in Cedar Falls with their two daughters, Penelope and Winslow.