The Valparaiso University Department of Athletics has announced its broadcast teams for The Valley on ESPN broadcasts airing on ESPN3 and ESPN+ during the 2021-2022 fall and winter seasons.
After contributing to select women’s basketball games and volleyball matches in recent seasons, Jamie (Gutowski) Stangel has been named the primary color analyst for home Valpo men’s basketball games on The Valley on ESPN. A standout on the Valpo women’s basketball team from 2002-2006, Stangel’s name appears in numerous locations in the program’s record book. She ranks second in program history in single-season 3-point percentage (.465), ninth in career 3-pointers made (151), eighth in career 3-point percentage (.360) and holds Valpo’s NCAA Tournament record for single-game scoring with a 20-point performance against Kansas State on March 21, 2004.
A professor in Valpo’s Kinesiology Department, Stangel has been teaching courses on Valpo’s campus since 2013. She teaches numerous undergraduate and graduate courses in Valpo’s sports management and sports administration programs. She completed her undergraduate degree in sports communications at Valpo in 2006 and went on to earn her master’s in sports administration in 2007 while serving as a graduate assistant for the women’s basketball program. She earned her Ph.D in sport leadership and administration from Concordia University Chicago in 2018. The Northwest Indiana native and Andrean High School product currently resides in Valparaiso with her husband Brad and their three daughters. Stangel replaces Dave Huseman, who had served as the primary color analyst for Valpo men’s basketball home games since 2013.
A 2018 inductee into the Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame, former Valpo football standout Tom Byrne has been named the primary color analyst for home Valpo football games on The Valley on ESPN. Byrne anchored Valpo’s offensive line from 1999-2002, setting a school record by starting all 44 games over his four-year career. He started all 11 games on the 2000 team that won the Pioneer Football League championship. Byrne earned first-team All-PFL accolades as a junior in 2001 and as a senior in 2002. He was honored as the recipient of the program’s Joe Sever Trophy, which is presented to a lineman who exemplifies work ethic and high-quality performance.
Byrne will serve as the color analyst for four of the team’s five home games this season, replacing Huseman, who had served as the primary color analyst for Valpo football home games since 2013. Jeffrey Vlk will handle color commentary for the Oct. 2 Homecoming game vs. Marist. Vlk was a defensive back at Valpo from 1999-2003 and graduated with a degree in English/language arts teacher education. He coaches with USA Football and is the head football coach at Buffalo Grove High School, where he also coaches track & field.
Stangel and Byrne will both team up with play-by-play broadcaster Todd Ickow, who will continue his long run as the Voice of Valpo for men’s basketball and football. Ickow is set to begin his 31st year calling Valpo Athletics and his 30th year as the soundtrack of Valpo Basketball. In addition to continuing his Valley on ESPN play-by-play responsibilities for men’s basketball and football, Ickow will serve as the primary play-by-play broadcaster for women’s soccer this season. He will also call select volleyball matches.
Longtime Northwest Indiana sportscaster Brian Jennings will take over as the primary play-by-play broadcaster for women’s basketball after splitting those duties with Huseman in recent years. Jennings has also called high school state championship events on Fox Sports Indiana, high school athletics for Indiana Sports Channel, high school athletics on AM 1230 WJOB and served as a fill-in football and basketball broadcaster for numerous NCAA Division-I institutions. Jennings will also serve as a fill-in broadcaster for Valpo football and men’s basketball and will call select women’s soccer contests.
In addition to taking over as the primary play-by-play voice of Valpo women’s basketball, Jennings will continue his duties as the lead voice of the Valpo volleyball program. For both women’s basketball and volleyball, Jennings will be paired with longtime analyst and Northwest Indiana basketball legend Renee’ Turpa, who was recently inducted into the National High School Basketball Coaches Association’s Court of Honor. A member of the NHSBCA board, Turpa has served on the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association board since 2009 and is currently an assistant director. She was the head girls basketball coach at Portage and Valparaiso high schools and currently serves as an assistant coach at Marquette Catholic. Turpa also works as an athletics marketing assistant and group sales coordinator for Valpo Athletics.
Danny Jeftich has joined the Valpo broadcast team as a soccer analyst. He will be paired with Ickow for the majority of the team’s women’s soccer broadcasts and will work with Jennings on several occasions when Ickow is unavailable. Jeftich served as the head coach of the Valparaiso University men’s soccer program from 1983-1990. A 2013 inductee into the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame, Jeftich was the head coach of the Valparaiso High School boys soccer program from 1992-2019, leading the team to 10 sectional titles, five regional championships, three semistate crowns and the 2004 state championship.
Ron Blatz will continue his role as Broadcast & Streaming Manager, providing oversight for all of Valpo’s Valley on ESPN broadcasts.
In addition to his Valley on ESPN duties for Valpo home events, Ickow will continue as the radio play-by-play voice for road men’s basketball and football games. He will once again be paired with Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations Brandon Vickrey, who will add color commentary for road football and men’s basketball broadcasts. When home men’s basketball games are selected for linear television or conference-selected on-air talent, Ickow will move to the radio call. WVUR student broadcasters will call the action for the remaining home men’s basketball games, home football games and all women’s basketball games. WVUR talent will include Garrett Willis, Zach Collins and Noah Godsell.
2021-22 Valpo Athletics Fall & Winter Broadcast Teams – The Valley on ESPN
Football – Todd Ickow and Tom Byrne
Men’s Basketball – Todd Ickow and Jamie Stangel
Volleyball – Brian Jennings and Renee’ Turpa
Women’s Basketball – Brian Jennings and Renee’ Turpa
Soccer – Todd Ickow and Danny Jeftich
