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Meet Oklahoma State's hockey PA announcer Mike Iles

Posted: Apr 15th 2024 By: Jake Ferraro - OSU Sports Media

From watching the Philadelphia Flyers, to living his dream working in hockey.

Meet 54-year-old Mike Iles, Oklahoma State’s hockey public address announcer. Iles was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but moved to Oklahoma in 1975. Iles currently resides in Tulsa.

Iles started getting into hockey in the early 1980s going to Tulsa Oilers games before the Central Hockey League folded in 1984. One of the games Iles remembers was a kid’s stick hockey night. Iles still has the stick to this day.

In 1992, a new CHL formed and Tulsa was one of the six cities to get a team. Iles was a season ticket holder for a few seasons at the Tulsa Convention Center before the BOK Center was built.

During the 2001-02 season, Iles ran into a guy a CHL goal judge. The goal judge passed Iles’ phone number to a crew chief with interest in working for the CHL. While a call didn’t happen that season, Iles caught his break next season.

Iles got a text with interest working and got to work. Iles got to do what’s called “touches.” Iles wrote down the players who would touch the puck and when the goal is scored, Iles tells the public address announcer who scores the goal and who has the assists.

In his second season, Iles got his first experience doing PA. On a Friday, Iles was asked to do PA announcing with Jim Douthat doing play-by-play in the final game of the season. Iles continued doing the PA announcer for the Jr. Oilers and was the backup PA announcer for the Oilers in the ECHL.

Iles also has experience announcing kid’s basketball and wrestling.

OSU hockey was first established in the Fall of 2021 and is part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

Iles personally knew Tyler Schultz who was OSU’s hockey head coach at the time last season. Iles watched Schultz play for the Tulsa Jr. Oilers in the mid-2010s.

When Iles texted Schultz about being OSU’s public address announcer, Schultz had a person in mind.

“I was just about to contact you,” Schultz text message read.

The first few games in Tulsa, OSU had about 200-300 people. Games this season had fans from 300-500 people Iles remembers. A few members in the stands consisted of the “Paddle People.”

OSU hockey was moving from Edmond to Tulsa late last season. When OSU moved to Tulsa, Iles thought it was a great idea having for OSU to establish its own identity.

“Establishing yourself here, and establishing your own roots, and your own market,” Iles said.

From announcing wrestling, basketball and hockey, Iles loves what he does. When it comes to getting experience in sports, Iles has advice.

“You got to be heard,” Iles said.