KOCO hires veteran Dallas sportscaster Bob Irzyk as sports director

Irzyk served as an anchor, reporter and sports director at KDAF-TV in Dallas from November 1998 to January 2009, and won a Regional Emmy award for his "Farewell to Texas Stadium" story in 2008.

A graduate of Southern Illinois University, he also has served as a sports anchor and reporter at TV and radio stations in Tampa, Fla., Chicago, New York City and Carbondale, Ill.

"The passion of Oklahoma sports fans is known throughout the country," Irzyk said in a news release from the station. "Oklahoma is one of the most exciting sports scenes in the nation. The chance to cover the Thunder, Sooners, Cowboys and our high schools from Woodward to Wynnewood is a real privilege."

Iryzk and his wife are avid tennis players and dog lovers. Longtime supporters of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, they were named Couple of the Year by the North Texas chapter in 2004.

This week, it also was announced that KOCO sports reporter Kelly Crull had been hired as Oklahoma City Thunder sideline reporter. Her last scheduled on-air appearance for KOCO is Aug. 1.