Dave Koehn got his first look at Charlottesville and the University of Virginia in early November. He fell hard for John Paul Jones Arena, where the men's basketball team for which he did the radio play-by-play -- the Vermont Catamounts -- was to meet U.Va.

"I remember thinking to myself, 'What an amazing job this would be, to work in this arena,'" Koehn recalled yesterday by phone from Vermont. "So to have the opportunity to be there in a full-time position a year later is surreal."

Koehn (pronounced CANE) is moving from UVM to U.Va. to fill the position vacated by Mac McDonald. The longtime "Voice of the Cavaliers," McDonald resigned in late April to, he said, pursue other career opportunities. Koehn spent some time with McDonald before the Nov. 11 hoops game at the JPJ.

"Actually, he left a mark on me," Koehn said. "I was thinking about what a great guy and a great host he was."

CBC Collegiate Sports Properties, whose U.Va. branch is called Virginia Sports Properties, announced Koehn's hiring Tuesday night. Koehn, also the radio announcer for the Vermont Lake Monsters baseball team, starts work at U.Va. on July 7. Initially, he'll focus on football and men's basketball.

"It's kind of one of these win-win situations professionally," Koehn said. "I have a chance to be there a long time, and you don't get that all the time in this profession."

Virginia Athletic Director Craig Littlepage, in a statement, said Koehn "brings a wonderful combination of enthusiasm, broadcast experience and talent to the position."

Koehn, 32, grew up in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he was a three-time state champion in high school tennis. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1999.

Before taking over as the voice of Vermont men's basketball in 2005-06, Koehn did play-by-play for football, basketball and baseball on KJHK in Lawrence, Kan., for Sam Houston State football and basketball, and for Texas Lutheran University football and basketball.

He's never done play-by-play at a school whose football team competes in Division I-A, but it's "something I feel very comfortable doing, and it's another facet of the job that's attractive to me: to get back to doing football," Koehn said.

"To be totally frank, football is probably more in my wheelhouse than anything. It's the sport I grew up watching more than anything."
Contact Jeff White at (804) 649-6838 or jwhite@timesdispatch.com.