CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you’ve tuned into an Alan Harwell sportscast in the last nine years, you know the familiar sound of “Hi, good evening everybody,” he starts all his segments with.
Harwell started his broadcasting career at the age of 15, working for KRYS Radio in Corpus Christi. He started anchoring sports on television when he was a senior at Carroll High School.
Harwell attended Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M Kingsville) in 1983 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education but did not put that degree to use until later in his career.
He started his television career in 1978, working for KIII-TV, the Corpus Christi ABC affiliate.
In 1984, Harwell went to Victoria for just a year, then went to the Longview-Tyler market in 1985, before returning to KIII once more. In 1999, Harwell spent a year in Youngstown, Ohio, and returned for his third stint at KIII in 2000.
From 2009 to 2013, Harwell spent time at Miller and Calallen as a teacher and coach, and in June of 2013, joined the KRIS 6 team.
In his 30+ years working in the industry, Harwell has become synonyms with sports coverage in the Coastal Bend, even earning the nickname “The Coastal Bend Sports Authority.”
“I think he’s kind of an icon,” said Calallen head football coach, Steve Campbell. “Whenever you see Alan Harwell, you know he’s the Corpus Christi sportscaster.“
People across the Coastal Bend, who have known him for many years, always enjoyed working alongside Harwell.
“We’ve had a great relationship,” said Brenda Marshall, the CCISD athletic director. “He’s always been very helpful in getting the stories we need for the kids, trying to add more to what we can to let people know what’s going on at CCISD.”
Craig Charlton, the Ray head football coach, appreciates how Harwell’s coverage often went beyond the field.
“It wasn’t just about reporting the scores, it was about the connection in the community, and how he portrayed the young athletes, and what they did, and their accomplishments,” Charlton said.
Of course, with so many years in the industry, many in Corpus Christi, Harwell developed a strong reputation in the business.
“When it was announced around ten years ago that he was coming to KRIS 6 I was excited,” said KRIS 6 News chief meteorologist Dale Nelson, “because I knew he was an outstanding sportscaster.”
Harwell has long mentored up-and-coming sportscasters, like Roland Rodriguez, a former KRIS 6 News reporter, and Action 10 News sports director. Rodriguez first met Harwell when he started his career in 1992.
“Anytime I ran into Alan, I made sure to ask him as many questions as possible,” Rodriguez said. “I wasn’t a sportscaster just yet, so I wanted to learn from the best.“
More recently, Harwell helped former KRIS 6 sports reporter Jeff Dubrof kickstart his career.
“Alan, I just want to thank you for all your time helping me in my time in Corpus Christi,” the current KCCI sports reporter said in a video to Harwell. “You’re an absolute joy to work for.“
Now, Harwell is retiring from broadcasting but isn’t leaving the sports industry. He now moves to his alma mater, Texas A&M Kingsville, to be the assistant athletic director.
His impact will still be felt across the Coastal Bend.
“I consider him a friend. I know I speak for a lot of coaches that really look up to him, and will cherish our friendship with Alan,” said Flour Bluff head football coach Chris Steinbruck.
