RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Gary Hahn, the longtime radio voice of N.C. State football and men’s basketball for the past 34 years, announced his retirement on Tuesday.

Hahn will retire at the end of the 2023-24 basketball season, according to NC State. He joined the Wolfpack Sports Network prior to the 1990-91 athletic year.

Hahn has been behind the mic for more than 400 Wolfpack football games, more than 1,000 men’s basketball games, and many baseball contests.

“I will be pushing 72 years old, so I’m in the fourth quarter of my life, and there are other important things I’d like to do—and need to do—with the time that the Lord has planned for me. This decision will give me the opportunity to finish strong,” Hahn shared during Tuesday’s Wolfpack football post-game show,

The announcement comes less than one year after Hahn was suspended on Dec. 30, 2022 for making a controversial comment during a game.

In audio clips surfacing online, Hahn appeared to say “…Amongst all the illegal aliens down in El Paso, it’s UCLA 14 and Pittsburgh 6.” He returned to the mic on Jan. 14 at the NC State/Miami basketball game at the PNC Arena.

Hahn apologized for his comments saying:

“As for the reason for my absence, the comments I made on Dec. 30 during the Duke’s Mayo Bowl were not appropriate in the format of the game broadcast. It took focus away from our outstanding student-athletes and it was not my intention to detract from the field of competition or bring any kind of unneeded stress to NC State University. I apologize for any issues that this may have caused. I love broadcasting NC State games and it is certainly a privilege for me to be able to continue that.”

Before coming to NC State, Hahn worked on statewide radio sports networks for the University of Louisville, Ohio State University, and the University of Alabama.

A 1974 graduate of Butler University, Hahn began his broadcasting career in 1970 while still a college student and also worked at WLWI-TV in Indianapolis in 1974-75, according to the news release.

“Gary has been a big part of the fabric of NC State sports for three decades, and we thank him for the role he has played in connecting our passionate Wolfpack fans to the excitement and spirit of game days whether they are in Raleigh or around the country,” said Kyle Winchester, General Manager of Wolfpack Sports Properties, the local division of Learfield that manages the Wolfpack Sports Network. “We appreciate his tireless commitment to serving our NC State teams, coaches, fans and the community.”