MT. PLEASANT — Jay Monsen, a sportscasting pioneer in Utah and member of the BYU Athletic Hall of Fame, died Sunday from complications related to a battle with cancer. Monsen was 79.
He passed away at his family’s homestead in Mt. Pleasant.
Monsen began his broadcasting career in 1956 at KUSB Radio doing games for Southern Utah College, then a junior college. He also covered high school basketball games and built a network of stations that aired regular season and tournament games from Montpelier, Idaho, to St. George.
Monsen graduated from BYU in 1957 and became heavily involved in doing play-by-play on KBYU-TV in the early 70s. He later became the broadcast media specialist for the university’s sports information department as associate sports information director. He retired from BYU in 1998.
Monsen was preceded in death by wife Lauretta, who passed away in April of 2012. He is survived by seven children and grandchildren. Funeral services are pending.
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