Last Monday, the last Monday of the school year, my son and I hopped in the truck for our weekday commute and turned on the radio. We like to listen to the local morning show on the way to school.
We were surprised - and more than a little disapointed — when we weren’t greeted by the familiar voices of hosts Matt Wilson and Dan Gensel.
It’s not unheard of for them to take a day off. Sometimes they’ll pipe in outside programs for holidays, but I couldn’t imagine why they would be absent on a random Monday.
Later, while scrolling through facebook, I discovered the reason: beloved community member, and local sports icon, “Coach” Dan Gensel died suddenly on Sunday at the age of 66.
More Than a Radio Host
Dan Gensel worked as the Sports Director for KSRM radio for 24 years — since 1999. He cohosted the morning update with Matt Wilson for 16 of those years.
Though most of us know him as the voice that welcomes us into our day, he has been serving the Kenai Peninsula at the highest level for longer than he’s been working at the radio station.
Dan Gensel played many roles in his seven decades spent in Alaska.
He was a state championship-winning coach in high school basketball. He was an award-winning broadcaster of an Alaskan local sports radio station.
More importantly, he was a father and a husband of a well-loved family on the Kenai Peninsula. At any given sports event, he could be seen acting as either a coach, an official, or a broadcaster.
But it was the events that he showed up to in no official capacity that defined the man whose reach stretched across the more than 16,000 square miles of the Peninsula and left an impression on countless athletes who grew up in Alaska.
Longtime Kenai sports radio voice, championship coach, dies at 66 - Joey Klecka, Alaska News Source
There have been multiple write-ups from local media outlets this week summing up how much Dan meant to the community. You can read the KSRM press release here : "Coach" Dan Gensel Passes at Age 66 - Radio Kenai
The Phone Lines are Open
Personally, Coach Gensel's voice represents a big part of my life as a mother. My son and I have been making the thirty minute trek to school, five days a week, nine months a year, for ten years. Rain/shine, ice/dry pavement, rising sun/pitch black, we made the drive and Coach’s voice was always there to keep us company.
We knew we were on schedule if we were backing out of the driveway in time to hear the daily trivia question.
The trivia question is presented every morning before the national news. Questions range from airplane models to snack foods and everything in between. The first caller to guess correctly wins a gift card from a local business.
We never called in, but we competed with each other to see who could come up with the right answer first. Sometimes I won and sometimes my son did. More often, we were just as stumped as the majority of the callers.
The longer the phone lines stayed open, and the more people who guessed incorrectly, the more likely Coach was to drop a hint or two. Matt — exasperated by the unsolicited helpfulness — often accused Coach of confusing the listeners, sparking their tendency to squabble. A phenomenon we tuned in for as much as anything else.
I like to refer to Coach Gensel and Matt Wilson as “The Old Married Couple”.
Coach offered a constant stream of good natured commentary on whatever topic Matt brought to the table, feining naïveté and fanning the flames of his co-host’s annoyance.
I always looked forward to “Aloha Fridays” for the Hawaiian themed bumper music and rousing conversation about the hosts attire. Both were supposed to wear “Hawaiian Shirts” and Matt was sure to let the audience know when Coach Gensel cheated. For example, wearing a shirt that simply said “Hawaii” instead of the iconic floral print button up. This would inevitably lead to an argument about what qualified as a “Hawaiian” shirt.
The two went back and forth like this all morning. Every morning.
I got the feeling Coach enjoyed getting a rise out of Matt as much as we loved hearing him do it. They were a one of a kind pair.
A Community in Mourning
Tuesday was a tear filled drive to school. It was a morning like any other, with one big difference.
My alarm went off at 6:30am. I made coffee, packed lunches and got out the door on time. I turned the radio on before I put the truck in reverse and we were greeted with the voice of Matt Wilson, and only Matt Wilson.
Instead of the usual trivia, banter and sports report, the radio played a heartfelt memorial with the long list of Coach Gensel's accomplishments.
Then, Matt went on air and shared his grief with us. He was vulnerable and gave the community who loved his cohost, a space to grieve right along with him. He broke every radio rule by allowing the air to go dead in a moment of silence for our beloved Coach.
It was everything I hoped, and needed, to hear on the first day of the rest of our lives without the man who meant so much to so many of us.
The End of an Era
The heaviness of the loss is compounded by the closing of an important chapter in my life.
By the time my son returns to school, he’ll have his driver’s license. Bringing ten years of early morning commutes, lunch packing and listening to the Morning Update together to an end.
I won’t miss the early alarms or the wintery drives, but I will miss singing along with Chuck Berry’s “School Days” before Matt reads the school lunch menu. I’ll miss Coach’s input, his thoughts on square pizza and chocolate milk.
I won’t be the only one.
Dan Gensel’s voice reached far and wide, breaking the boarders of the little community he lived in.
People tune in to the morning update from all over the world. My husband streams it online when he’s at work in Dutch Harbor. I listened on the balcony of our Hawaiian condo with my morning coffee.
It’s a little piece of home.
Big Shoes to Fill
Matt has been joined throughout the week by other familiar voices from around the station. Bob Bird, some would argue a legend in his own right, cohosted for a few days.
Mr. Bird’s voice was a comforting balm in those early days of Dan’s absence.
Bob Bird hosts the “The Birds Eye View” weekdays at 4pm. He’s also a retired high school history teacher. He taught legions of seniors Alaskan history and US Government, myself included. He’s animated, excitable and taught history with flair.
Merrill Sikorsky filled in towards the end of the week. Merrill hosts the “People Going Places” radio show. He interviews locals and highlights happenings around the community. He covers the things that give our community character, like the Shriners annual Vidalia onion fundraiser and the Wednesday market.
Our little radio station is a hometown affair and someone will step up to join Matt in the early morning hours between 6 and 8am. The sports report will come back with a new voice at the helm.
Coach will never be replaced, but I have faith that the precedent he set will be honored and carried forward.
Until then, I’m just thankful I got spend so many mornings listening to the voice of our community.
Rest in Peace Coach. You will be dearly missed.
What a lovely tribute, Jenn. 66 is way too young. Thanks for sharing Coach’s story with us. ❤️ Sending condolences to you and your community.
So sorry for your loss. Coach sounds like a wonderful person, an icon in the community. And what a milestone for your son. Must have been bitter sweet-- and scary. (Teenage boy drivers. Set those boundaries now.) I still miss my favorite radio personality. They somehow become a friend, even tho it’s just a voice every morning. Coach was more than a voice. A pillar of Kenai. Sending healing prayers to his family, friends and listeners.