From his early days growing up in small town Iowa, Al McCoy followed his dream of pursuing a career in broadcasting. His first radio job was in tiny Webster City, Iowa, at KJFJ radio. He also worked at WHO radio in Des Moines for three years. He then attended Drake University and in the mid-1950s made an exploratory trip to Phoenix, seeking a job in radio.

That early visit to Arizona yielded no employment offers and Al found himself playing piano at a local club before going back home to Iowa. A talented singer and musician, he could easily have ended up as an entertainer playing with bands all over the Midwest, but he was heavily influenced by many top sportscasters on radio and his love of both sports and broadcasting won out as a career path instead.

When Al finally did make it back to Arizona, he worked at KOOL radio and KOOL-TV (then Channel 10) and also as the play-by-play announcer for the Phoenix Giants baseball and Phoenix Roadrunners hockey teams. During the 1960s he was also well known as one of the “Good Guys” on the air at KRUX radio, then one of only two rock and roll radio outlets in the Phoenix metro area. In 1972, Jerry Colangelo hired Al as the Phoenix Suns team announcer.

In September 2007, Al received the Curt Gowdy Media Award at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame reunion. The award was given for his efforts and significant contribution to the game of basketball. With nearly 40 years as the “Voice of the Phoenix Suns,” he is the longest tenured broadcaster in the NBA. In 2009, he released his autobiography, “The Real McCoy.”

Al McCoy has long been a beloved fixture in Arizona’s sports and entertainment world and is easily one of the most recognizable radio/TV personalities in the state. He sums it all up quickly, saying that he has no regrets about the profession he chose. Shazam!

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