MANSFIELD, P.A. (WENY) - Public Address announcers play a major role in contributing to the energy at a sporting event. For over four decades, Chris Vaughn has done that for Mansfield University Athletics. Vaughn has retired after 43 years behind the mic, so now we take a look back on the career of the voice of the Mountaineers.

Fans at Mansfield University games always heard the familiar voice of Chris Vaughn. It's been that way since 1981. Vaughn was the Assistant Director of Financial Aid at the University, and he got the basketball announcing gig after an interesting conversation between his boss and the men's basketball coach at the time, Ed Wilson.

"Without even looking at me he said well, Chris has a pretty big mouth, why don't you let him do the games? So Ed kind of looks me over and says do you know basketball? I said well it's not brain surgery, I think I could probably handle it until you find somebody more permanent to take over so I figured I would maybe do the games through Christmas of 1981 and here we go to 2024 and we're still doing the games," Vaughn said.

After his start in basketball, Chris called numerous sports at MU as well as at the high school level.  Vaughn has been a part of many thrilling games, but says his favorite basketball game he ever called was ironically the one where he talked the least - Mansfleld's 15-8 win over West Chester in December of 1984.

"One thing I've always had is the gift of gab, and so it didn't bother me to do the games. And I enjoy sports, but with my physique, I knew to get the best seat in the house, I had to play to my strengths and my talking was pretty much my one strength." Vaughn said. "I really got to know a lot of the ballplayers and their families a little bit and it just seemed to be a natural tie-in. Plus, I enjoyed working with the coaches."

Vaughn enhanced the game day experience for fans and players. He says the reality is when you're doing the games, you don't realize the impact you're having.

In 2018, Vaughn was inducted into the Mansfield University Athletic Hall of Fame, and he was named the 2024 Mansfield Citizen of the Year by the Mansfield Chamber of commerce. For Vaughn, the journey has been nothing but memorable.

"I got more than I gave," he said. "Everybody said how could you do the games all of those years and it would be like well because there was a game to do, and what else was I going to do that Saturday afternoon or that Wednesday evening? So whether it was with a team that was one of our better teams or a team that was struggling a little bit, it really didn't matter. It really didn't matter, we had athletes representing Mansfield University wearing those jerseys, and I was going to support them."