{{Short description|American sportscaster}} {{For|his son|Dave Diles Jr.}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Notability|Biographies|date=October 2023}} '''David L. Diles''' (October 14, 1931 – December 29, 2009) was an American sports broadcaster, journalist, and author. He was a broadcaster for ABC Sports and hosted the ''Prudential College Football Scoreboard Show''.
==Early life== Dave Diles was born October 14, 1931, in Middleport, Ohio. At age 13 he started delivering the local newspaper, ''The Daily Sentinel'', in Pomeroy, Ohio.
Diles moved to Athens, Ohio, and attended Ohio University. He then worked for a local newspaper, the ''Athens Messenger'', and later the Associated Press in Columbus and Detroit until 1961.<ref name="pomeroy">{{cite web |url=http://www.mydailysentinel.com/view/full_story/5362627/article-Sportscaster-Dave-Diles-dies-at-age-78 |title=Sportscaster Dave Diles Dies at Age 78 |newspaper=The Daily Sentinel |location=Pomeroy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517005755/http://www.mydailysentinel.com/view/full_story/5362627/article-Sportscaster-Dave-Diles-dies-at-age-78 |archive-date=2012-05-17}}</ref>
==Career== In 1961, he became sports director of ABC's Detroit station WXYZ-TV until 1972 and then again from 1979 to 1982.
He hosted many other sports broadcasting programs, including ''College Football Scoreboard'', ''Wide World of Sports'', the Indianapolis 500, Olympic Games, NASCAR auto racing, professional golf, bowling, track and field, and college football play by play.<ref name="pomeroy" /> He is also known for hosting ''Race for No. 1'' and ''The Big Ten Today''.
During the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, Diles was the host of a local Detroit sports radio broadcasting show called ''Dial Dave Diles''. This was the city's first radio sports talk show.
Diles is known for his work for commentating play by play for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Lions and Pistons, and the Ohio State basketball team. He also covered the Olympics.
He wrote eight books about network television sports and the experiences of coaches and players in the professional and college sport business. This included co-authoring 1979's ''Terry Bradshaw, Man of Steel'', a [https://www.amazon.com/Terry-Bradshaw-Steel-David-Diles/dp/0310394619/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RADYBSJB8DCPKHR5K1B Christian-themed autobiography] of the Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://s-usih.org/2014/01/are-you-ready-for-some-football.html |title=Are You Ready for Some Football |access-date=June 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419071433/http://s-usih.org/2014/01/are-you-ready-for-some-football.html |archive-date=April 19, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Diles was the president of the Football Writers of America, Michigan Chapter, and the Detroit Sports Media Association.
Outside of sports, Diles was a substitute host for Lou Gordon on occasion.
== Recognition == Diles was awarded many honors in the sports world. Some include:
*Three times named the Associated Press Sportscaster of the Year<ref name="pomeroy" /> *Received four Associated Press Documentary Awards *National Sports Service Award from ''Sport Magazine'' *National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame<ref name="pomeroy" /> *National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics<ref name="pomeroy" /> *Inducted into the Michigan Media Hall of Fame *Inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 *Received the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
==Later life== Diles received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Ohio University.<ref name="pomeroy" /> He established a scholarship at the university for students from his hometown in Meigs County. He was a trustee for another local college, The University of Rio Grande.<ref name="pomeroy" />
Diles died on December 29, 2009, of cancer that caused a stroke. He was 78 years old.<ref name="pomeroy" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=david-l-diles&pid=137964563 |title=David L. Diles - Obituary |newspaper=The Columbus Dispatch}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=4778531 |title=Diles dies at age 78 |date=December 29, 2009 |agency=The Associated Press |work=ESPN.com}}</ref>
Diles' hometown named a park after him. The Dave Diles Park is named in his honor located in his hometown of Middleport, Ohio, along the banks of the Ohio River.{{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}
== References == <!--- See Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags which will then appear here automatically --> {{Reflist}}
{{NBA on ABC}} {{Major League Baseball on ABC}} {{IndyCar Series on ABC}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Diles, David L.}} <!--- Categories ---> Category:1931 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American sports journalists Category:People from Middleport, Ohio Category:Ohio University alumni Category:NBA broadcasters Category:College football announcers Category:College basketball announcers in the United States Category:Olympic Games broadcasters Category:American golf commentators Category:Los Angeles Clippers announcers Category:Detroit Pistons announcers Category:Detroit Lions announcers Category:Bowling broadcasters Category:Motorsport announcers Category:Sport of athletics commentators Category:Deaths from cancer in Ohio Category:Major League Baseball broadcasters