HOF Media

Name: Don Hazen

Year Inducted: 1981

Category: Media

Schools / Organizations:
The Joliet Herald-News

Biography:  Don Hazen covered high school basketball as a member of The Joliet Herald-News staff beginning in 1964, serving as sports editor beginning in 1972. He served as president of the Illinois Association Press Sports Editors. “Basketball is My Thing” Hazen said of his favorite sport. Many players and teams have cavorted before Hazen’s watchful eyes. In selecting his favorite high school team Hazen points to the (Dolton) Thornridge High School championship team and the 104-69 defeat of Quincy High School in the 1972 title game. To pick out a special game Hazen again turned to the Thornridge team in 1971. “There were 5,000 screaming nuts to watch Thornridge nip Joliet Central 66-63 here in Joliet in the sectional. That game is what Illinois High School Basketball is all about.”

Name: Mike Moyers

Year Inducted: 1999

Category: Media

Schools / Organizations:
Quincy High School
IHSA

Biography:  Few people get a chance to do exactly what they want to do with their lives.  Mike Moyers is one of the lucky ones.  Listening to the voices of Jack Buck and Harry Caray as a kid, Moyers knew early on that he wanted to be a play-by-play announcer---a craft he began working on at the age of seven.  His first chance at sports broadcasting came in 1979 for WTAD. While working with Jeff Dorsey, Moyers took his partner’s advice and worked on his voice, diction and phrasing. During the decade of the 80’s Moyers did play-by-play of everything imaginable---including girl’s softball and bowling.  When the opportunity to broadcast soccer at WTAD, Moyers embraced the sport and became one of the best in the state.  He was recognized as the Media Man of the Year in 1985 by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association—the same year his local radio show was named as the best national electronic coverage by the Professional Bowlers Association.  In 1987 Moyers became WGEM’s anchor play-by-play voice for the Quincy Blue Devil Basketball program.  After leaving WGEM in 1990 Moyers and new color man Jeff Hibbert were hired to broadcast the Devils on WQCY FM.  Eight years later the Moyers and Hibbert team moved to KZZK FM-- and the listeners and sponsors followed.  Retiring from the broadcasts in January, 2002, Hibbert and Moyers left behind over 400 Friday and Saturday nights of Blue Devil excitement---and hundreds of friends and memories.  During his 23-year broadcast career Moyers amassed over 1500 play-by-play broadcasts---including 33 I.H.S.A. state tournaments in various sports.   In 1999 Moyers was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and, in 2007, was inducted into the Quincy High Sports Hall of Fame. Moyers retired in 2017 after serving as the Senior Vice President of the STARadio Corporation for 18 years.

Name: Mike Korcek

Year Inducted: 1999

Category: Media

Schools / Organizations:
(Mt. Prospect) Prospect High School
Northern Illinois University
US Army

Biography:   Mike has been a fixture in the award-winning NIU Sports Information office that has been cited for league, regional, and national honors for excellence and service. He is the longest tenured head SID (22 years) and office employee (34 years) in Huskie history. Mike has received 50+ career College Sports Information Directors of America awards---including "Best in Nation" and 40 writing citations. He has been cited by the Football Writers Association of America for "outstanding press box services" (1992). Mike is the recipient of NIU's Outstanding Service Award (1989), Donald R. Grubb NIU Journalism Alumnus of Year Award (1998), CoSIDA 25-Year Service Award (1999), All-American Football Foundation "Scoop" Hudgins Lifetime SID Award (2001), and CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award (2007). Mike was inducted into The Northern Star Alumni Hall of Fame (2001). He has promoted four Heisman Trophy candidates, seven Academic All-Americas, and 41 All-Americas in football, plus one All-America, one National Dunker of Year, and three Academic All-Americas (Academic All-America of Year) in men's basketball. Mike’s leadership was the driving force behind the All-Century celebrations of Huskie athletics, especially football and men’s basketball. Mike has chaired NIU Hall of Fame and national CoSIDA Ethics committees. He has worked in office that hosted media at IHSA basketball DeKalb Super-sectional for over four decades.  Mike proudly served in the US Army and worked at the European Stars & Stripes (1970-73). Mike is a graduate of NIU and (Mt. Prospect) Prospect High School where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus in (2009).

Name: Kirk Wessler

Year Inducted: 2019

Category: Media

Schools / Organizations:
Bradley University
The Peoria Journal Star

Biography:  A Peoria native, Kirk graduated from Bradley University in 1977.  He began his career working for The Peoria Journal Star while still attending college.  He joined the newspaper on a full-time basis in 1987 and became its sports editor in 1991.  Kirk retired from the PJS in 2018 with a resume that earned him recognition as one of the best at covering high school and college basketball in the state of Illinois.  He was inducted into the United States Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the IHSA distinguished Media Award.