Taylor Zarzour is returning to the place where his professional broadcasting career began. Last month, he was announced as the new radio voice of the Tennessee Titans. Zarzour replaces Mike Keith, who left after 26 years to call games for his alma mater, the University of Tennessee. The 47-year-old Zarzour was a co-host for the “Morning Sports Page” on Sports Radio 560 in Nashville two decades ago.
Today, Zarzour is best known for his work on the SEC Network and at SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio as the voice for golf’s major championships. This week, he’ll be covering the PGA Championship in Charlotte, where he and his wife live. They’ll be looking for a house in Nashville soon. We recently caught up with Zarzour to ask him about his new job.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: How does it feel to be back in Nashville?
Taylor Zarzour: “It’s surreal. It’s where I started my sports radio career. My wife and I have been talking about eventually getting back to Nashville because of how much that community has always meant to the two of us. She went to school near there at the University of the South in Sewanee. Her best friends live there. Some of my best friends live there. I never thought that this opportunity would come open.”
After Mike Keith left, how did this opportunity come about?
“When it came open, I contacted my agent and asked him, ‘Is this something we should look into?’ He was very excited. He said, ‘Absolutely.’ I asked my wife, obviously, and she was like, ‘Gosh, are you kidding me?’ Then I contacted some close friends in the business, one in particular who lives in Nashville: Jim Nantz. He called me immediately and said, ‘You have to go after this.'”
What did Jim Nantz’s input mean to you?
“He’s very connected in that community and has some good friends connected with that organization. He was very excited about my interest in it. So, his support meant a great deal. There were other people that I spoke to about this as well, but yeah, he was very supportive.”
Did Mike Keith say anything to you?
“His support is probably the thing that has stopped me in my tracks the most because, like all Titans fans, I love Mike Keith, and we will keep celebrating him forever on the air. We’ll keep playing his memorable calls. We will talk about Mike, and he’ll be a part of our Titans family forever. He was sincere, and the amount of pride he takes in passing the torch means a great deal to me.. He said, ‘You’ve built a great career for yourself, working hard and believing in yourself. I hope you keep doing that with this.’ I will.”
What is the challenge going from SEC football to the NFL?
“What I do for the SEC is television. What I’m doing in the NFL is radio, and you have to be all the senses in radio. You are painting the entire picture. Somebody’s trying to make a left turn out of their neighborhood, and you’re trying to succinctly and properly describe what is happening so that they can consume it while they’re concentrating on the road. No matter what it is on the radio, that’s a big challenge to begin with. I have a lot of experience doing that with golf. I have some experience doing that with football and other sports, and I certainly will lean on all of the experience.”
Needed this! 🔥 https://t.co/KuyGBr0enV
— Taylor Zarzour (@TitansTZ) May 9, 2025
Did you grow up a Titans fan?
“I grew up a Dolphins fan. My dad was from Miami. But moving to Nashville to start my sports radio career, ever since then, I’ve had a connection to the Titans. I did a sports radio show in Nashville, and I went to every Titans game and covered the team. The Titans are in the heart of SEC country in Nashville. The fan base is an SEC fan base. So with all the other work I’m doing, there’s a lot of synergy. I have felt a big personal connection to the Titans.”
What is your early impression of Cam Ward?
“They did have their rookie camp last week, and he was phenomenal. Everybody is looking around at each other, just saying, ‘Yep, this was the right move.’ He is the ultimate alpha. He has all of this leadership aura about him. We spent a good deal of time the day after he got drafted. He came to Nashville. I hosted an event in front of the season-ticket holders. He commands the room. He has a lot of confidence. He loves to learn.. I am super excited to call him playing quarterback for the Titans.”
You’re doing golf this week. How big of a challenge is that?
“In football, your eyes are trained on one piece of land in front of you. In golf, there are as many as 18 different things happening out on the course. With a great producer and a team of people around you, you have to figure out what is the next thing that needs to be said. You’re trying to figure all of that out and keep your brain sharp. Golf on the radio is probably as mentally exhausting as anything in sports broadcasting, but it’s a big labor of love for me.”
What’s a storyline at the PGA Championship you’ll be following?
“I think after what Rory McIlroy just did at the Masters, there is all this electricity around him. (He completed) the career grand slam, only six people have ever done it. How long it took him and how much heartbreak there was along the way. Now he’s coming here, the golf course he’s been the most successful on in his career in Charlotte at Quail Hollow. That’s a massive storyline. I think we’re in for a Rory McIlroy-Scottie Scheffler duel on Sunday. Two of the best players in the game are both playing exceptionally well right now. Rory just won the Masters. Scottie just won in Dallas in his last start two weeks ago. Men’s professional golf right now is booming.”
Nashville is a great city for music. What’s the best concert you’ve seen there?
“Easy. Nissan Stadium, Eric Church. At that time, it set an attendance record (in 2019). That was the best one, but I love The Station Inn. I love the Ryman. I love country music, country musicians, including Eric, who have restaurants and bars on Broadway. There are a lot of great places to see a show.”