Rich Fellingham, former Iowa State women’s basketball announcer, dies at 75

LUKE LU/KE LU

Richard Fellingham (right) died at the age of 75 on Nov 4. Fellingham was the Iowa State women’s basketball play by play radio announcer for 30 years before he retired in 2018.

Stephen Mcdaniel

The Iowa State community is mourning after it was announced by the Iowa State women’s basketball team that long timer announcer Rich Fellingham died at the age of 75 Wednesday.

Considered a “Cyclone legend” by many in the Iowa State community, Fellingham served as a broadcaster for Iowa State women’s basketball for 30 years, making him the longest tenured broadcaster in Iowa State history.

Fellingham got his first start calling Iowa State women’s basketball games in the 1987-88 season and recently retired from calling Iowa State women’s basketball games after the 2017-18 season.

Over the course of his broadcasting career, Fellingham saw the hiring of current Head Coach Bill Fennelly in 1995, saw Iowa State’s two Big 12 Tournament Championships in 2000 and 2001 and saw some of the best players to have played for the Iowa State women’s basketball team in the likes of Angie Welle and Bridget Carleton.

Following the end of his broadcasting career with Iowa State, Fellingham continued his support for the Cyclones and would occasionally fill in on women’s basketball broadcasts.