Bill Hillgrove is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 sports journalist

Journalist

A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...

, radio personality, and sports broadcaster.

He is currently the lead play-by-play broadcaster for the steelers football network (102.5 wdve) and for the University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

  Img sports network (93.7 the fan) he calls the Pitt games with former Pitt quarterback Pat Bostick

Born William Thomas Hillgrove in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh)

Lawrenceville is one of the largest neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located northeast of downtown, and like many of Pittsburgh's riverfront neighborhoods, it has an industrial past. Lawrenceville is bordered by the Allegheny River, Polish Hill, Bloomfield, the Strip District and...

 neighborhood, he grew up in nearby Garfield

Garfield (Pittsburgh)

Garfield is a neighborhood in the east end of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Garfield lies about three miles as the crow flies from the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers at the City's heart. It sits on a bluff above the Allegheny River...

. He attended Central Catholic High School

Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Central Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory school for boys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a part of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and is administrated and partially staffed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools....

 and Duquesne University

Duquesne University

Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...

. He worked as a student sports broadcaster for Duquesne basketball games while in college. He graduated from Duquesne in 1962 with a degree in journalism.

His first job was as a disk jockey with WKJF (now KDKA-FM 93.7 The Fan). He later worked as a DJ for WTAE-AM. In 1969 he was hired as a road game broadcaster for the Pitt Panthers basketball team. The following year, he became the regular color announcer for Pitt football

Pittsburgh Panthers football

Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...

 play-by-play man Ed Conway. Following Conway's death in 1974, he assumed the play-by-play announcer duties. He was the 2007 winner of the Chris Schenkel Award, presented by the National Football Foundation

National Football Foundation

The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...

, for his work as Pitt's football broadcaster.

Hillgrove was named the sports director for WTAE-TV

WTAE-TV

WTAE-TV is the ABC affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh, broadcasting on UHF channel 51 and identifying via PSIP as channel 4 . It also serves as an ABC affiliate for the Wheeling/Steubenville and Clarksburg/Weston, West Virginia market areas...

 in 1978 and acted as sports anchor for WTAE News. In 1994, he was handpicked by Steeler owner Dan Rooney

Dan Rooney

Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...

 to replace the retiring Jack Fleming

Jack Fleming

Leo W. "Jack" Fleming was an American sports announcer for the West Virginia Mountaineers football and basketball teams. He also served as the announcer for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and the NBA's Chicago Bulls. One of his most famous calls was for the Steelers in 1972, on the 'Immaculate...

 as the play-by-play broadcaster for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After working for many years alongside famous color broadcaster Myron Cope

Myron Cope

Myron Cope , born Myron Sidney Kopelman, was an American sports journalist, radio personality, and sportscaster who is best known for being "the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers."...

, his Steeler broadcast partners now include former Steelers players like Merrill Hage (former color) Tunch Ilkin

Tunch Ilkin

Tunch Ilkin is a Turkish sports broadcaster and a former American football player. He currently serves as a television and radio analyst for the Pittsburgh Steelers.-Biography:...

 (color) and Craig Wolfley (sideline). He also continues to broadcast Pitt football and basketball games. Former Pittsburgh Pirate Dick Groat

Dick Groat

Richard Morrow Groat is a former two-sport athlete best known as a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He played for four National League teams, mainly the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in after winning the batting title with a .325...

 serves as Hillgrove's broadcast partner for basketball and former Pitt offensive lineman and All-american Bill Fralic

Bill Fralic

William P. Fralic, Jr. is a former professional American football offensive guard in the NFL.-Early years:...

was his partner for football games until 2011 when former Pitt QB Pat Bostick took over after Fralic stepped down.