From the basketball court to the broadcast studio, Frank Cusumano has combined a spirit of passion and perseverance to distinguish himself as one of St. Louis’ most beloved and enduring sports figures. As an athlete growing up in St Louis, Frank was a basketball captain and all-district guard on De Smet Jesuit High School’s prolific hoops teams that won 63 consecutive games, including a 32-0 state championship run in 1979. Frank was then a standout with the University of Missouri–St. Louis men’s basketball program, playing in 94 career games from 1980-84 while earning a bachelor’s degree in speech communication. His athletic and academic journey grew from his childhood love of sports, which took root at age 6 when he began memorizing the names of all the quarterbacks in the NFL, and later as a teen when he hosted a mock Brent Musburger radio show. While pursuing his passion for sports at UMSL, Frank says the university’s public radio station stoked his drive to be a sports reporter.
“That radio station had a lot of student involvement,” he said. “We were doing sports reports there all the time and I absolutely enjoyed it.”
He also earned an internship opportunity with KMOX and sports broadcasting legend Bob Costa while in college. He went on to hone his sports journalism skills in smaller television markets in Tennessee and Kentucky, driving thousands of road miles to cover the Southeastern Conference. Cusumano returned to KDSK as a sports reporter in 1993, contributing stories to the station’s Sunday show Sports Plus, and eventually becoming 5 On Your Side sports director in 2016.
"Some kids want to be doctors, others want to be lawyers," Frank said. "All I have ever wanted to do is to talk about sports on television and radio in St. Louis. I am honored to be able to tell the stories of these incredible athletes in our town."
At KSDK, Frank has won dozens of local, regional and national awards for his storytelling and sports coverage. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 and the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame in 2022. He remains involved with UMSL and has served as emcee of several events, including last fall’s Founders Celebration and the recent Athletics Hall of Fame induction.
