Greg Kerr
sportscasterInducted 2016
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Kerr's father worked in Naval intelligence, so the family moved frequently. He spent grades 3-9 in Marin County near San Francisco, attended two years of high school in the Philippines, then his senior year at West Springfield High School (Va.) near Washington, D.C. Kerr played mostly baseball and basketball in high school and pitched for two years at Virginia Commonwealth. He eventually earned his degree in Mass Communications and zeroed in on a career in broadcasting. But jobs were tough to come by. Kerr spent time as a baseball umpire and attended the well regarded Harry Wendelstedt Umpiring School in Daytona Beach, Fla. His first break as a broadcaster came in 1983, when he was offered the job at KURL TV, the ABC affiliate in Billings, Mont. After 13 months there, he moved to WNCT TV, the CBS affiliate in Greenville, N.C., where he spent the next three years. In 1987, Kerr came to Bakersfield's KBAK Channel 29 as the weekend sports anchor. Charlie Adams was the sports director at the time. "The North Carolina market was bigger, but I wanted to get to the West Coast," he said. About a year later, Adams left Channel 29 and Kerr became the sports director. He's had interviews in other markets, notably in South Bend, Ind., and in San Diego, but has opted to remain in Bakersfield. In 1987 at Kerr's urging, Channel 29 debuted the popular "Hometown Sports" weekly show during the football season, a similar show Kerr created during his time in North Carolina after seeing a more elaborate highlights show in Billings. Kerr also serves as master of ceremonies at various events around Kern County and he's taught broadcasting classes at Bakersfield Christian and Garces high schools. He also hosts a weekday show on ESPN radio from noon-1 p.m. Kerr and his wife Shauna, who are devout Christians, have been married 20 years. They have a son, daughter and grandson, and Kerr has a stepdaughter.