Bob Shomper is the new Golden Voice of the Hawkeye Marching Band. He takes over the microphone from the legendary Lou Crist, who served as the band’s announcer for 44 years before retiring early in 2025. Bob and five talented finalists auditioned for Lou’s position by announcing at one of six home games during the 2025 season.

Bob is a proud HMB alum (aka “Fossil”). While at Iowa, he marched as a bass drummer and studied percussion under the nationally renowned Tom Davis from 1971-73. Bob also played in the Iowa Concert Band, Quad-City Symphony and the Iowa Percussion Ensemble, which performed some of his arrangements as a student. Before coming to Iowa, Bob was a two-time all-state percussionist at Davenport Central High School and played in the Quad-City Youth Symphony, where he was featured soloist in his senior year.

After graduating from Augustana College (Rock Island), Bob taught vocal and instrumental music in Mediapolis, IA before entering the field of broadcasting as an announcer at KBUR in Burlington, where he eventually becoming the station’s Director of Programming before taking a similar position at WOC in Davenport.

Following his stints at KBUR, and WOC, Bob was recruited to program WTSO in Madison, WI. After WTSO, he was hired as the program director at KARN in Little Rock, and later KKOB in Alburquerque. Starting in 1999, Bob entered the nation’s major markets, first as operations manager at WBAP in Dallas/Ft. Worth, then as program director at WGN in Chicago, and later at rival station WLS. He concluded his major market streak with stops at KTAR in Phoenix and WCCO in Minneapolis. Bob also served as program director at KLIN in Lincoln, NE, prior to retiring in 2021.

Bob’s professional career includes numerous awards, including the NAB’s Marconi Award, Crystal Award, and Service to America Award. He’s been nominated for National Program Director of the Year, and was twice recognized as one of America’s most influential programmers by Radio Ink magazine.

When he’s not announcing for the Hawkeye Marching Band, Bob and his wife Diane spend their summers working for the Minnesota Twins. He remains musically active, playing and singing in several ensembles in the Twin-Cities.