With over 30 years of experience in broadcasting, Ken Berthelot hopes to use the tools he has gained to enhance Nicholls’ athletics department as the new associate athletics director for external affairs. Berthelot takes over for Gary Gallup, who resigned over the summer to take the athletics director position at Kentucky Wesleyan University. As associate athletics director, Berthelot will be the executive director for the Colonel Club along with doing play-by-play for Colonels football this fall.
A native of New Orleans, Berthelot graduated from Louisiana Tech and started his broadcasting career in Thibodaux at KTIB in the early 1970s where he announced Nicholls State baseball and basketball games. Berthelot said he remembers the days before football and how well the programs did then.
“Nicholls didn’t have a football program back then, and at that time the baseball and basketball programs were very competitive,” he said. “Both teams were known throughout the South for their play and how well-coached they were.”
Once Berthelot left Nicholls, he moved on to WVUE-TV in New Orleans where he was sports anchor for eight years. In 1986 Berthelot left WVUE and became the voice for Tulane athletics until 2001.
After his stint with Tulane expired, Berthelot stepped away from sports and became a motivational speaker and trainer for Dale Carnegie Training.
Along with being the play-by-play announcer for Tulane, Berthelot also served as assistant athletics director for broadcast properties and worked with Tulane booster clubs.
“Using my years at Tulane, I definitely feel that I can make a difference right away and help this become the program I know it can be.”
Berthelot, who will assume all of his duties Sept. 25, has only been on campus a couple of times, but said the University has grown even bigger than he imagined.
“To think where this university was 30 years ago and where it is today is a testament to the hard work of the Nicholls staff and community.”
Berthelot said one of his first duties as executive director of the Colonel Club is to work with Colonel Club President Sonny Jackson to bring back Colonel alumni and get them more involved with the University, along with bringing in new fans from the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.
“Not only do we want to bring them to the campus to see how much it’s changed, we also want the people of New Orleans and Baton Rouge to take notice of how much Nicholls has to offer.”
Of the duties Berthelot has, his main concern is of the athletes and of making sure they have all the tools to succeed not only in sports, but in life as well.
“In talking to the teachers on campus, I’ve heard nothing but positive things about our athletes, and it’s my job to help make sure that they have all the things necessary to function not only as competitive athletes, but as outstanding people also,” Berthelot said.
