Network1Sports Golden Mike – Jim Wilburn, KSVP-AM Artesia, NM - Submitted by Gene Dow, Vice President and General Manager Pecos Valley Broadcasting Company.

Jim was born in Oilton, Oklahoma to an oilfield family, and moved a lot growing up, settling in Eunice, NM, where he was a top athlete … especially on the Eunice Cardinal basketball team. His play earned him a trip to Las Cruces for the New Mexico Activities Association North/South All Star game coached by then Las Cruces High School head coach Lou Henson … yes the same Lou Henson who went on to do great things as coach of Illinois in the Big 10.

After college and a stint in Germany in the military, Jim returned home to New Mexico to teach and coach, starting out in Lovington, New Mexico … yes the home of Brian Urlacher!

After 5 of years of coaching baseball, football and boys basketball, Jim got asked to become the head Coach of the Artesia High School boys’ basketball team and in 1978 moved to Artesia to begin his career there.

As head coach, Jim won 1 district title and took his team to the state tournament 5 times. Jim retired as head coach after the 1989-1990 season.

It was during the football season in 1984 that Jim was asked if we would like to be the play-by-play announcer for KSVP Radio. He said yes and now 25 years and over 2,000 sports broadcasts later, Jim has earned the title ‘Voice of the Bulldogs’. His trademark “and that, my friends, is just another Bulldog touchdown” call is well known throughout New Mexico and West Texas … just ask anyone who follows the Artesia Bulldogs!