The ‘voice’ of the University of Florida men’s basketball program grew up in Bridgeport.

Bill Koss, a 1960 graduate of BHS, was a pretty good basketball player during his Bulldog days, good enough to receive a scholarship offer from then-Florida head coach Norm Sloan.

However, as most kids that grow up in the Buckeye State, his first love was The Ohio State University where his best friend – and BHS teammate – John Havlicek was starring.

But long-time OSU head coach Fred Taylor said he could only offer the 6-ft.-6 Koss a 1-year scholarship, which broke Koss’ heart, but would turn out to be a blessing.

He headed south to the Sunshine State and has never looked back.

“I was close to going to Ohio State,” Koss recalled. “It was a big decision.”

He turned out to be a 3-year letterman – freshmen couldn’t play varsity back then – for the Gators and graduated with a degree in Business Administration in 1965.

Koss is Sun Sports and FOX Sports Florida’s Gator basketball analyst. He has been an analyst for University of Florida basketball on various radio and television stations for 34 years. For the past 19 seasons, he has teamed with play-by-play announcer Larry Vettel to bring Sun Sports and FOX Sports Florida viewers Gators telecasts.

He began his career as the radio color analyst for the University of Florida in 1970 doing halftime analysis of game action. In 1973 he was asked to partner with Otis Briggs as an expert basketball analyst. He has done several radio play-by-play games for the Gators over the years, but he has been most prominent in the role as color commentator.

“Actually, I got my first start in broadcasting in the late ’60s,” he explained. “They would have me come on at halftime and do some analysis of the first half.”

In 1980, Koss joined David Steele to call every Gator game on the radio through the 1989 season when Steele left to become the Orlando Magic’s radio voice. From 1973 to 1989, Bill broadcast more than 350 games on the radio.

“It was in the early ’80s when I pretty much started doing home and away games,” he said. “Prior to that, I just did home games.”

In 1985, he began doing television coverage of Gator games for SportsChannel Florida (now FSN Florida) and moved to Sunshine Network (now Sun Sports) when it was awarded the contract with the University of Florida in 1996. He has worked with veteran announcers such as Marty Brennamen, Skip and Chip Caray, Pete Van Wieren, Jay Randolph and Paul Kennedy.

“I pretty much gave up radio after 1989,” he said. “I’ve been doing TV for 20 years now.”

He was part of the Michigan State-Florida game last season in Atlantic City which was aired all over the country. He also noted that ESPN has the rights to everything.

“They determine who gets the games and who doesn’t. I got five games last year, four of them were Florida and the other was South Florida and Providence,” he said.

In addition to providing listeners and viewers with his expertise game analysis, Koss has been closely associated with the Gators program during his days in Gainesville. He is active in sports talk radio, as well as being an entertaining speaker at sports functions. He is also the author of “Pond Birds” which captures the history of University of Florida basketball, and is the only publication which provides a comprehensive look at the Gators program.

He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

Besides basketball, Koss also knows a little about football and being a Gator fan, he loves Tim Tebow.

“Tim Tebow will be more successful than anyone could imagine. He’s the finest young man as an athlete and is a good role model for kids,” he said. “He sets the standard for parents to raise their young.”

Koss also had the liberty of watching Tebow perform at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach.

“I used to see him in my neighborhood and think this kid is the real deal,” Koss added. “I’ve seen so many kids fail, but Tim won’t be one of them. He’s the kind of person that I want my grandsons to be like.”

Koss also said that the fans in Denver are also liking their rookie QB.

“His jersey is the biggest seller in the entire 2010 NFL Draft,” Koss noted. “The people in Denver absolutely love him.”

While he grew up a Buckeye fan, his loyalties are now in Florida. He attended the championship game that Florida and Ohio State competed in to conclude the 2007 season.

“I was there,” he said. “I’m totally a Gator when it comes to things like that. My loyalties are 110 percent with Florida.”

Koss is also a big fan of men’s basketball coach Billy Donovan and football boss Urban Meyer.

“Those two guys represent what the ideals of the University of Florida are all about. They are both strong family men. They are well liked in the community and they care about their recruits,” he added.

Athletic Director Jeremy Foley also drew high praises from Koss.

“He is responsible for how this athletic department has evolved over the 20 years he’s been here. The University of Florida is a good school. It is ranked among the Top 100 in the nation in academic standing.”

Cash Headed to Florida

Timing is everything.

With Koss in Bridgeport to celebrate his 50th class reunion over the weekend, he presented Bridgeport boys’ basketball coach Donnie Cash with the opportunity of a lifetime.

Cash will be departing the Ohio Valley today en route to Gainesville. He was one of 17 coaches selected to help out at the Billy Donovan Individual II Camp that runs from Monday through Wednesday. The camp is for boys ages 10-18.

“This is going to a great experience for me,” Cash said Saturday while preparing for the trip south. “I thanked Bill for the opportunity Friday at the (Niekro Classic) golf outing.”

Cash said the chance to help at the camp arose when his dad, Don Sr., and Koss were sending e-mails back and forth during Christmas time.

“Bill referred me to assistant coach Darren Hertz and we talked,” Donnie Cash said. “He told me to get back with him in the spring, and I did. He then informed me that I was selected.”

Cash said his duties will include attending the camp, observing curfew and supervising.

“I just want to go down there and learn whatever I can,” he said. “I’ve never worked at a camp like this, so I just want to do whatever they asked me to.”

North can be reached at knorth@timesleaderonline.com