Pulaski County sports icon, Dan Callahan, passes away

It is with heavy hearts that we announce today the passing this morning of Dan Callahan after a short illness.

He passed at around 8:45 a.m. this morning at LewisGale Hospital Salem. His wife, Brenda was at his side at the time of his death.

Known affectionately by many as Dan “The Man” Callahan, he was in his 50th year of newspaper work – the last several with The Patriot.

For years he wrote a popular weekly column called “The Locker Room,” which touched on high school, college and pro sports – as well as a variety of other topics. He also covered Cougar football and basketball for The Patriot.

Dan was also known as “The Voice of the Cougars,” for his years of work on WPSK radio as the play-by-play man for their Cougar football broadcasts.

Dan, probably the authority on Pulaski County Cougar football, covered the Cougars since the high school opened in 1974 for The Southwest Times, WPSK and The Patriot. Prior to that he covered the Dublin Dukes beginning in 1970 for the Radford News Journal.

Dan leaves behind his wife, Brenda; two sons, Shane and Jason, his daughter-in-law Vanessa and his granddaughter, Layla.

Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.