On any given Saturday in the fall, you might hear Matt Harmon’s voice soaring over the roar of Kessler Stadium, narrating the action with the kind of sharp detail and effortless rhythm that only comes with years behind a microphone.
But come Monday morning, that same voice greets a different kind of audience: a room full of students, notebooks open, waiting to learn not about the scoreboard, but about the strategies of sports communication.
Specialist Professor Matt Harmon has spent decades balancing two worlds — one on the sidelines, with a headset and a fast-paced game to call, and one in the classroom, where he slows things down just enough to guide the next generation of writers, broadcasters, and media professionals.
A seasoned sports broadcaster and a respected faculty member, Harmon brings authenticity to his teaching, weaving real-world experience into his lectures.
Born and raised in Wall, New Jersey, Harmon has always been an athlete and had a love for sports. After graduating high school, he attended Albright College to join the football team, but after the first semester he quickly realized that he took a real dislike to the town, Reading, Pennsylvania.
So, the football player chose to transfer to Monmouth College, now Monmouth University, and join its startup football program. “…they were just about to start and launch a football team, in 1993, I wanted to be part of something like that,” said Harmon.
Unfortunately, college football life did not treat him too well. “Fall of ‘93, I was on the team but hurt for most of the year. In between ‘93 and ‘94 I had a significant personal injury accident, and had to hang ‘em up.”
Monmouth Football Coach Kevin Callahan, famously known as Coach Cal around campus, regarded Harmon with high praise and recalled the injury that forced him to leave playing football behind. “Ultimately, that’s [shoulder injury] what forced him to discontinue playing, which was unfortunate because of his love and passion for the game and sports. But, there comes a time when you have to move on to a different chapter of life.”
So, Harmon retired the helmet and pads, but football, and Monmouth, were never too far out of reach, as he took the passion that he had for playing and transferred it to his life’s work.
Going into his remaining years of undergrad at Monmouth, Harmon chose to study Business, but one semester and a few Communication courses later, he decided to change paths.
“… I poked around a little bit, took a class in Communication, really enjoyed it, and kind of fell in love with the professors, Professor Morano among them, Professor Rich, who’s no longer here. Two of my greatest influences, two people who I would say are both mentors, friends and provided me with so much inspiration and challenged me so much while I was here at school.”
The aforementioned Professor Morano, current Professor of Journalism at Monmouth University, can also attest to Harmon’s passion for teaching, broadcasting, and athletics alike. “If you compare Professor Harmon the student to Professor Harmon the educator, the two are not very different. What you see is what you get. Matt doesn’t know how to be someone else. He is authentic. Those around him matter to him, especially students and colleagues. He is, and always was, dependable and sincere.”
During his time at Monmouth, Harmon wasn’t sure how to continue being a student without the athlete aspect of it, so, while he figured it out, he tried his hand at every part of Communication.
Writing for the student newspaper, The Outlook, broadcasting for the student run radio station, WMCX 88.9 – Harmon did it all. By his senior year, he had become the sports director for WMCX and found a real love for sports broadcasting and radio.
In his senior year, while interning at NY sports radio station, WFAN, Harmon was given a piece of advice. “The advice I was given, and kind of followed, was ‘What do you want to do?’ I said I want to be on the air doing something. Then that person said, ‘Make sure your first job is on the air.’” And that’s exactly what he did.
After graduating in ‘96, the newly released college grad began to broadcast and commentate on different games here and there for multiple local radio stations, until he got his big break in ‘98 working an overnight sports update job where he broadcasted what was happening at the Winter Olympic Games in Japan.
He continued broadcasting and picking up some airtime as a weekend anchor at both Bloomberg Radio and 1010 WINS. Harmon worked in New York City radio for 20 years until life came full circle.
In 1999, the soon to be professor taught his first class at his alma mater, Monmouth University. However, when he started teaching, he realized that something was lacking in the Communication Department.
So, he proposed adding a sports communication minor to the curriculum. He worked tirelessly with fellow colleagues, Professor Chad Dell and Professor John Morano, to bring this idea to life.
After picking up more classes each year, he was given a shot at becoming an adjunct, set up by his mentor Professor Rich. But being a part time professor was not his only job – Harmon was still working in the city. And that’s not all.
While going back and forth between the city and West Long Branch, Harmon still found time to have a personal life, and got married to his wife Megan and became a bonus father to Daniel in 2002. They added to their family of three in 2005 with Cooper and again in 2009 when Luke was born.
His love and passion for sports were no doubt passed down to them, as photos of them running on soccer fields and playing lacrosse are plastered all around his office.
Harmon was no stranger to the education system, as both parents had background in education, especially his father who taught high school for 30+ years. So, it was no surprise when Harmon became a full-time professor in 2011.
Once hired full time, the professor’s idea finally came to fruition, and the sports communication minor was approved.
Now, in his 13th year of full-time teaching, Harmon has been promoted to Senior Specialist and takes the role very seriously. Because he still works in the field as a broadcaster for New York Red Bulls Soccer and for Monmouth University Athletics, he has a plethora of wisdom and experience that he takes with him into the classroom. Harmon said, “Everything that I ask my students to do in some of my broadcast related classes, I’m doing. So, being able to share stories with them, real life stories, I feel like is invaluable.”
Harmon’s former student, Greg Mescall, can attest to the indispensable knowledge he gained from having such an experienced professor. “… He’s played a lot of critical roles in my journey as a sports broadcaster including professor, fellow announcer, mentor, sounding board, and friend … All of this starts with his foundation as a truly excellent broadcaster from the Red Bulls to the Monmouth Hawks and everything else in between. We’re fortunate he’s long been willing to share that expertise with students all the time. Thanks Matt!”
Throughout the broadcasting, teaching, parenting, and mentoring, Harmon still finds time to be even more involved. He is the running host for a podcast called Monmouth Weekly, which was started in 2020 to keep students informed of the goings on at school when COVID hit, and he is the faculty advisor for both the Sports Industry Club and the Surf Club on campus at Monmouth.
Professor Morano says, “As far as teaching me lessons, Matt has always confirmed for me who I am and what I do. I can’t help but see that freshman football player in my Introduction to Journalism class every time I see Matt. Yet he has gone so far and done so well. He treats people kindly and fairly. He’s concerned and giving. And, of course, he’s quite accomplished as a professor and a professional. If I had a little something to do with any of that, well, that’s what being a faculty member is really all about. Matt’s example reminds me of that.”
