Jack Ashmore is modest about it.

Friends say they are not surprised when Ashmore says he is modest.

Ashmore, a former Eastern professor and current play-by-play announcer for WEIU-FM for Eastern men’s basketball games and football games, didn’t talk much about his honor.

Ashmore was selected for induction into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame as a media member last month and will be inducted on April 25 at Illinois State’s Bone Student Center Ballroom.

“He’s kind of embarrassed about all the attention because he’s a very modest person,” said Rob Calhoun, WEIU-FM’s production manager. “He doesn’t like being in the limelight. Getting this honor, I think, has been kind of humbling to him.”

For now, Ashmore handles his duties with those two Eastern sports and does play-by-play for Charleston High School’s boy’s basketball and football.

“It was a real surprise,” Ashmore said. “I was not expecting it all. It was a great honor.”

Calhoun was not surprised though.

“That just is such an amazing accomplishment for him. I couldn’t be happier for him,” he said. “He’s worked hard over the years, and he really deserves this honor.”

Ashmore retired from teaching at the end of last year, and now enjoys his free time.

“I thought I was in a position where I could (retire) financially,” he said. “Sometimes, you just know the time is right. I certainly enjoyed teaching at the time.”

Ashmore started in 1971 working for WITT of Tuscola in 1971, 1974-75 and 1980-83; Charleston’s WEIC in 1977-79 and ’93-2003; Paris’ WACF in 1979; Mattoon’s WLBH in 1998-87 and WEIU in 2003 to the present.

“I thought Jack was very professional,” Calhoun said. “He always works hard at his craft. He always made sure he knew something about the (other) team to make him sound very knowledgeable, of course, which he is.”

Ashmore began listening to the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals while growing up, and radio broadcasting was something he always enjoyed.

“It was something I was always fascinated with,” Ashmore said. “I always listened. It was something I was always interested in doing.”

But that was in the 1960s and 1970s. Ashmore still has the same enthusiasm for the job, and is not thinking about retirement from announcing at all.

Ashmore said he has always enjoyed broadcasting, and when he first looked into broadcasting he thought it was a great thing to do.

He said as long as he continues to enjoy it, there are no retirement plans in the future.

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at [email protected].